Change in Fates
by sprite.isn't.lemonade
Summary: AU. How would things be different if Lily had been in Slytherin and Snape had been in Gryffindor?
1. Sorting Ceremony

**A/N: Hello everyone, welcome to my story...reading the summary should have provided you with enough information to go on, though a note about shipping: while I _am_ a Lily/Sev fan, I will probably let the reviewers decide who they want Lily to end up with in this story. I will provide hints for both ships (SSLE & JPLE) but it's up to you to decide, pretty much.**

**I'm not a huge fan of OCs, but I will tell you that there are two OCs (so far) in this story (one is Lucius's younger sister). Also, I should note that Narcissa is about four years younger than she is in canon, otherwise things are pretty unchanged. Enjoy~**

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"Oy James, was that you? I though we said none of that on the train!"

"That's not me mate, I think a stinkbug just walked by…Oy you!"

Severus turned around automatically; after all, "you" was his father's nickname for him for the last several years and he had grown quite accustomed to it…

"What?" he snapped at the voice as he fidgeted in his new Hogwarts robes. He was alone in the corridor aboard the Hogwarts Express; they were a mere hour away from their destination, so he had left his compartment to change into his oversized robes. Now, he was being called back to some stranger's compartment as though he were some Muggle's pet dog…

There were four boys in the compartment. The one who had called Severus back was sitting closest to the window; his messy black hair nearly covered his glasses as he peered up at Severus' appearance.

"My God, it just got worse!" the boy next to him roared with laughter as he pinched his nose and waved at the air.

"I don't smell anything," a calm boy retorted across from his wilder friends. His nose was buried in a book, but he looked up and noticed Severus for the first time. He gave the boy a small smile, but Severus scowled in return. He didn't come here to be laughed at.

He turned to leave without another word, but the messy-haired boy called him back.

"Hey you! You can at least tell us your name! We could be in the same house, you know," he winked playfully at his friends, making two of them laugh loudly, but the book-obsessed boy remained quiet.

"I dunno James, he looks a bit like the rest of my family," the handsome boy shuddered. "Slytherin, no doubt."

Severus nodded, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. "I'm Severus Snape," he mumbled awkwardly as the rudest boy**- **James**-** prodded him further for a name.

"I'm sorry, but maybe I misheard you. Did you just say _Snivellus?_"

Once again, three out of the four erupted into a chorus of obnoxious laughter.

"_Severus_," he repeated loudly, trying to hide his humiliation.

"Okay sure thing, Snivellus…"

"Oy Sirius, I think we ought to give Snivellus here some of Kreacher's fragrances…he might smell a tad better," James snorted at his own joke.

"Sev?" a girl's voice came from behind him. Severus immediately whirled around, and was relieved to see Lily standing right next to him. She looked amazing, now that she had changed out of her Muggle clothes and into her new Hogwarts robes. The four boys peered curiously out of the compartment, wondering what female in her right mind knew such a foul being such as Snape.

"Awww, ickle Snivvykins, is this your girlfriend?" James sneered up at the two. "James Potter, at your service," he haughtily held out his hand to Lily, gazing up at her infuriated green slits with innocent, puppydog eyes.

"Lily Evans. _Not interested_," she snapped at him as she slammed the door, trapping his outstretched hand in between.

Awestruck by Lily's icy snub towards Potter, Severus followed her back to their compartment in silence. Behind them, Severus heard the boy swearing loudly as he managed to release his fingers from the middle of the door; his friends roared with laughter over his angry cursing.

"That was…you were…" Severus spluttered, clearly at a loss for words. Sitting back down onto the comfy seats, Lily grinned mischievously.

"I heard what they were saying to you, Sev…you didn't deserve that. I wish I could've given Potter a real piece of my mind…what a shame, besides _Protego_, I don't really know any real spells yet…"

"I do," Severus blurted out. He immediately covered his mouth, not wanting to sound conceited like Potter…

Lily just smiled, though. "Of course _you_ do, Sev. You're the greatest wizard I know!"

"That's not saying much," he mumbled under his breath. Before he could say any more, however, he looked out at the night sky and noticed the silhouette of Hogwarts just a short distance away. In front of the castle, he saw the moonlight rippling on the surface of the quiet black lake, making it seem more enchanted than it really was.

"Lily, look," he whispered as he motioned her to the window. She climbed over their trunks and sat next to him, gazing out the window in breathless wonder.

"We're finally here."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor Minerva McGonagall greeted the anxious first years. "Before we begin the start-of-term banquet, each of you must first be Sorted into your houses…"

As McGonagall droned on, Severus darted a quick glance at Lily. She looked at him nervously; after all, this was her first full day immersed in the Wizarding world, and she wasn't sure how to take it all in.

_How are you?_ Severus mouthed at her.

_Overwhelmed_, she mouthed back at once.

McGonagall ended her speech and disappeared momentarily, leaving the terrified first years alone in the corridor with the ghosts.

With a violent shiver, Severus realized a ghost was floating in the air right next to him. The silvery man's head seemed as though it was going to topple off any second, but it remained firmly attached. Hiding his initial disgust, Severus forced down the lump that was lodged in his throat. The ghost gave Severus a small, encouraging smile, which he did not return: that was Nearly Headless Nick. The _Gryffindor_ ghost. He didn't want to get too friendly with him.

"Gryffindor all the way," Severus heard Potter's arrogant voice floating over the apprehensive murmurs amongst the students. Peeking in between the crowds, he saw him give his friend Sirius a high-five.

A little while later, McGonagall returned to lead the first years into the Great Hall. The unbelievably large hall was already packed with students, divided between four long tables. Several of them cheered as the youngest students entered; even the ghosts whistled for them as the group came in and stood next to a stool that had an old, dusty hat upon it. There were hundreds of candles floating in midair over the tables, though the ceiling seemed to capture the most attention. The teacher's table was off to the right, but the students had their eyes on the motionless hat.

Suddenly, it split open and it began to sing. It sang that it would read their minds, their hearts, even their very souls...and tell them whether they would be placed into Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin. Confident that he would no doubt find himself in Slytherin, Severus ignored the hat's enchanting song and looked out at the older students. At Slytherin's table, he spotted a tall blonde boy with a prefect's badge looking incredibly bored. Next to him, Severus saw an angry-looking witch with frazzled black hair whispering something into his ear. Neither of them looked pleased to be there.

Once the hat finished its ridiculous song, Severus forced his attention back to the Sorting. McGonagall was going alphabetically down a list, starting with Avery. The first student was instantly Sorted into Slytherin.

Severus clapped unenthusiastically, but tensed when he felt a hand lightly grip his shoulder. It was Lily. She gave him another terrified smile; she was almost as worried as he was that they'd be in different houses. But no…that couldn't happen…it _wouldn't _happen…

_Lily will be in Slytherin_, Severus told himself firmly.

"Black, Narcissa!"

Severus watched curiously as a sullen, lanky blonde girl trudged her way up to the stool. Her eyes briefly gazed over the Slytherin's table, where there were only two people currently standing: the harsh black-haired girl and another, smaller girl whom Severus would have mistaken as the girl's twin had it not been for her brownish hair and kinder eyes.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat's declaration echoed throughout the giant hall. The standing girls shrieked with delight, and hugged her as she walked over to the table. The blonde prefect stood to shake her hand; Severus noticed her face turn slightly pink by this.

"Black, Sirius!"

_Black…? Brother and sister?_ Severus wondered curiously.

The Potter boy hooted obnoxiously from the ever-shrinking crowd of first years. Ignoring this, Severus saw that Narcissa Black and the two girls that had so exuberantly welcomed her to Slytherin were now scowling. The silence in the hall didn't last long, however, as the hat roared "GRYFFINDOR!"

Potter and his two friends erupted into a chorus of jubilant shouts, which were soon drowned out by the deafening roar from Gryffindor's table. After all, Black was the first new Gryffindor of the year…

"Chatsbine, Onjali" was Sorted into Ravenclaw, "Dimartino, Kertann" into Hufflepuff, and "Dontalam, Phaaria" into Gryffindor.

"Evans, Lily!" McGonagall called out a while later.

"Wish me luck," Lily whispered breathlessly as she walked up to the stool and sat down to be Sorted. The hat nearly covered her eyes, not that it mattered, since she closed them anyways.

"Interesting…" the hat spoke quietly to her after a few seconds' pause. "You _want_ to be in Slytherin?"

"Yes," Lily breathed.

"Well, you _are_ on your way to greatness…yes, yes, _indeed_…so much potential…" the hat trailed off and seemed to consider it for another moment before exclaiming "SLYTHERIN!"

Lily instantly jumped up and beamed at Severus. He was clapping wildly for her, perhaps louder than anyone in the Great Hall. He watched as she nearly skipped her way to the Slytherin table, where she was met with cheers and claps on the back. The prefect whom had greeted Narcissa stood once more to greet her as well.

So, they continued down the line. Unsurprisingly, Potter's quieter friend, Remus Lupin, was also Sorted into Gryffindor.

"Malfoy, Laika!"

Severus noticed the prefect at the Slytherin table stiffen at this name. With the exception of hair color (hers was several different shades of brown), the Malfoy girl looked exactly like the prefect; siblings, no doubt. The girl snootily strutted up to the hat and had the nerve to swipe off some of the hat's dust before placing it in her luxurious brunette hair. She watched her peers carefully from under the brim of the hat; Severus immediately discovered he didn't like the way she observed everyone with those cold, piercing hazel eyes…it gave him the feeling that his privacy was being invaded…

"SLYTHERIN!"

Oh well, it looked like he would just have to deal with the scarily observant girl. She would no doubt become Lily's friend, being in the same year and all, so Severus figured he would try to accept her anyways.

"Pettigrew, Peter!"

Severus saw the mousy-brown haired boy stumble over to the stool and slam the hat onto his head. He grinned greedily underneath its filthy hood, looking like an idiot as he waited for something to happen.

"Oh, definitely not Hufflepuff…" the hat muttered at once. "Not very bright either…noble and brave? Hardly…that has left me no choice but…SLYTHERIN!"

"_What?!"_ Potter bellowed angrily next to Severus, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. Neither boy had heard what the hat had spoken to Peter, but neither of them liked the verdict. Potter wanted his friend to be in Gryffindor with him, while Severus didn't want that little freak near _his_ house at all…

"Potter, James!"

James stomped up to the hat, feeling slightly mutinous as he carelessly slammed it over his head.

"Oh this _is_ an easy one…" the hat told him before shouting "GRYFFINDOR!"

Finally, after what seemed like an entire lifetime, McGonagall ordered "Snape, Severus" to the stool. He tried appearing confident, but he felt queasy all of a sudden. He carefully closed his eyes as the dusty brim of the talking hat slipped over his head. The mass of young witches and wizards disappeared from his view, giving him the impression that he and the hat were the only beings in the world.

_Please say Slytherin…why wouldn't I be in Slytherin?_ He thought, forgetting that the hat could hear every unspoken word in his mind. To boost his confidence, he briefly imagined Lily cheering loudly for him as the hat announced that he too was in Slytherin…

"Slytherin, eh? I'm not so sure about that…"

_What? Why not?_ Severus demanded silently. _My mum's entire family has always been in Slytherin…_

Suddenly, he heard a voice, but it wasn't the hat speaking to him. It was a wistful, faraway voice that Severus didn't recognize…

"You are a braver man by far…you know, I sometimes think we Sort too soon…"

_What the…?_

Before Severus could interrupt, another, younger voice appeared out of nowhere, much to Severus's bewilderment.

"…he was probably the bravest man I ever knew."

_Who's saying that?_ Severus asked the hat. _Who are those people?_

"Those who knew you better than you know yourself," the hat whispered mysteriously. "Therefore, it's only best if I place you in…GRYFFINDOR!"

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**A/N: Please review...Comments (praise or constructive criticism) would be wonderful if you could please spare me a few more seconds from your life to type one out ;)**


	2. Lily's Lie

**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reviewing....for some reason, this story disappeared on this site after it was posted, so I retaliate by adding chapter two ;)**

**Disclaimer: I haven't/don't/won't own anything related to Harry Potter, besides this story idea, of course!**

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"Root beer."

The giant gargoyle jumped aside as two figures, one short and one tall, made their way up the stairway that led to Professor Dumbledore's office. The feast had ended nearly two hours ago, and most of the students had gone off to their respective common rooms.

Everyone except a certain, disgruntled new Gryffindor.

_Knock. Knock._

"Enter," a serene voice wafted through the crack in the ancient-looking door. The tallest figure impatiently shoved through the doorway and into the dimly-lit room.

"Professor McGonagall, what a pleasant surprise," Dumbledore spoke softly from the shadows behind his massive desk.

McGonagall looked anything but pleasant, however. In fact, she looked downright irritated beyond words as she yanked the shorter figure by the wrists into the room with her. Dumbledore's eyebrows rose slightly at the sight of a pale, greasy-haired boy standing next to McGonagall.

"Severus Snape, am I correct?" Dumbledore spoke directly to the boy. He refused to make eye contact with the gentle headmaster, but nodded stiffly.

"I certainly hope you haven't done anything to garner you a visit with me your very first night at Hogwarts," Dumbledore continued conversationally; Severus still refusing to look at him directly.

"The boy swears he's been Missorted," McGonagall spoke for him in an exasperated tone, giving the student a sharp nudge in the ribs. He jumped a little upon initial contact, but otherwise seemed undeterred by his professor's ire towards him.

"Missorted?" Dumbledore chuckled. "What house do you believe you were supposed to be in, Severus?"

With a reluctant jerk of his head, Severus looked up into the old man's tinkling blue eyes. He hated how understanding they appeared, yet he knew that Dumbledore couldn't possibly understand the burning hatred he felt for that blasted Sorting Hat right now.

"Slytherin," he stated coldly. "Everyone in my family has always been in Slytherin. There must…have been a…mistake…" he muttered awkwardly.

Dumbledore said nothing, but instead watched Severus's distrustful black eyes for some time. Although the young first year didn't know it, Dumbledore was silently observing his innermost thoughts, trying to find a way comprehend to complicated boy in front of him. No student had ever claimed to have been Missorted; Severus must have had a good reason for wanting to be in Slytherin this badly…

And then, Dumbledore saw it: just before Severus uncomfortably looked away, Dumbledore saw a beautiful redheaded girl being Sorted into Slytherin. She smiled broadly at Severus as she bounced jubilantly over to Slytherin's table…

"Headmaster?" McGonagall inquired softly, wondering what he could possibly see in the boy that she couldn't…

"Besides family tradition, do you suppose there is another reason for you feeling as though you are in the wrong house?" Dumbledore asked Severus calmly, even though he already knew the answer.

Severus shook his head stubbornly. He didn't have to tell the old man anything…he just desperately wanted to be in Slytherin…

Dumbledore appeared to have bought this excuse, and he shook his head in defeat.

"I'm sorry Severus, but the Sorting Hat has had its say. There is nothing I can do for you except help you adjust as a new Gryffindor."

"But that's not fair!" Severus shouted, feeling his temper rise dangerously. McGonagall tightened her grip on him at once and glared at him sternly.

"You heard the headmaster, Severus," she replied icily. "You will go back to your common room and I do not want to hear anymore of this Slytherin nonsense."

"But…wait!" Severus pleaded for Dumbledore to put the dumb hat on him again, just to be sure that it hadn't messed up, but McGonagall already managed to drag him out of the office. He kicked and physically fought her the entire way to Gryffindor Tower; meanwhile, she remained unusually calm during the entire walk back. She would not look at him, however; perhaps she was saving her outburst for the end.

"You can't do this!" he yelled defiantly. "I'm _not_ a Gryffindor! I'm not in your damn house! I won't go! I won't!"

Just before they rounded the corner to where the Fat Lady portrait was located, McGonagall suddenly spun him around and pinned him to a wall, holding him by the tips of his robes. She looked almost murderously at him; he figured he wouldn't really care if she killed him though. He'd rather face her wrath than be forced to accept that he was in _Potter's_ house, and _not_ in Lily's house…

"Listen to me, Snape, and listen well," she hissed with a twinge of craziness in her voice. It was clearer than day that her patience had fully worn out with him at this point. Her eyes were slits; he could almost imagine them burning a hole through his head as they glared at him. "You are a Gryffindor, like it or not. I've had enough of your antics today, and I _swear_, if you try anything ridiculous like that again, you'll be expelled for your noncompliance with the school's rules. Once Sorted, you are in that house for the rest of your seven years here, like it or _not_. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Severus was so shocked that it took him several seconds to realize that he was many feet off the ground. The madder she got, the higher McGonagall had pulled him up on the wall. He was nearly choking by now, and only when his face turned a hint of blue did she release him. He gasped for air and massaged his sore neck; marks where McGonagall had held him by his neck were rapidly bruising. He hadn't expected this furious reaction from her, and he was definitely determined to stay away from her as long as he could.

Severus got to his feet and silently willed his knees to stop shaking. After Severus gave his new Head of House a hasty nod in submission, McGonagall escorted him up to the portrait and barked the password ("Border Rewlwood").

"Snape," she stiffly acknowledged him a goodnight as he disappeared behind the closing portrait.

**xXxXxXxXx**

Lily glanced nervously around the Slytherin common room as she entered for the first time. It had a dim, greenish glow about it, and it was colder down here than it had been in the Great Hall. Most of the upperclassmen looked rather glum and depressed; none of them welcomed her as she cautiously tiptoed on the silver and emerald rugs that were lying on the stony ground beneath her feet. Off in a corner, two mean-looking seventh year boys were swapping what appeared to be shrunken heads. Lily shivered at the sight.

"Oh, Lily!" a cool, whispery voice called out to her from one of the emerald sofa chairs across the room. Feeling slightly better at the sound of someone calling her name, Lily hurried over to the other side of the common room. There were two girls seated there; both first years like her.

"Narcissa Black, I'm sure you've heard the name before," the blonde girl informed her tonelessly as she gazed up at Lily's appearance. Then, she motioned to the brunette girl with hazel eyes sitting across from her. "Laika Malfoy…her older brother Lucius, he's a prefect," Lily noted Narcissa turn a slight shade of pink at this, and she turned away from Laika.

"Nice to meet you," Lily said pleasantly. Her warm smile was returned with smirks that were supposed to look like smiles. After a few moments, she finally noticed a third girl sitting behind Laika.

"Who are you?" Lily asked her, forcing Laika to move back so everyone could see her. The girl had large, dark circles under her eyes, making it seem as though she hadn't slept in weeks. Even her sandy brown hair was so thin that it looked as though she was balding prematurely.

"This is Melika Zula…Melika, say hello to your fellow Slytherin," Narcissa ordered in a cold, authoritative voice. Melika glanced up at Lily and gave her a pathetic smile. "Hi."

"So, 'Zula'…" Laika began after a few moments' silence. Her voice was low and delicate, though Lily suspected her to be much more confident than she sounded. "I haven't heard that name before…perhaps it's a German line? Or Swedish?"

Melika gripped the velvet seat tightly and turned red. "Oh, it's not…my parents are Muggles, see."

Suddenly, any noise or hurried whispers amongst the Slytherins in the common room quieted. Everyone turned their heads in her direction, wondering what person could utter such a foul phrase in their presence. Melika looked up at Lily, wondering what she had said. Lily shrugged back, and worriedly looked to Narcissa for answers.

A loud cackle came from behind Lily, making the hairs on the back of her neck rise. She cautiously turned around and saw a devilish, black-haired fifth year approaching. Her lips were formed into a deep smirk, and her blackish eyes dazzled with flickers of hatred towards Melika.

"I'm sorry Cissy, maybe I misheard your little friend," the girl shot Melika a look of pure loathing. "Did I hear we have a _Mudblood_ in _Slytherin_?"

Taking after the older girl's lead, Narcissa nodded, looking down hatefully at Melika. "How in the world," she began softly, examining her black-painted fingernails. "Did a Mudblood get in to the prided House of Slytherin?"

Melika looked absolutely mortified with herself for revealing such sensitive information. It was quite obvious she hadn't done her research before coming to Hogwarts; otherwise she would have known which house despised _her kind._

"What's wrong with being Muggle-born?" she asked timidly. This comment only drew more attention to herself, thanks to the creepy girl whom had addressed Narcissa as "Cissy." A murmur of despised laughter went up around the room, making Melika sink back further into her chair, wanting to disappear.

Lily was torn; part of her wanted to take Melika's side and declare herself a Muggleborn as well, but strangely…part of her held back…fearing retribution from the frightening girl next to her. She had never heard the term "Mudblood" before, but she knew it wasn't a compliment. Somehow, the air around her seemed to grow colder the longer Melika struggled against her fellow Slytherins' insults…

A chant went up around the common room, starting with inaudible whispers and steadily growing louder: "_Mudblood, Mudblood…"_

"Stop it!" Melika cried, looking terrified. A crowd was gathering around their little area; the upperclassmen glared down at the girl as though they were looking at a disgusting potion or pitiful house elf. It was as though telling her fellow Slytherins that she was Muggleborn had made her an instant outcast, something dirty that shouldn't be touched nor looked upon with friendliness.

Lily's heart thudded in her chest as a chilly wave of realization washed over her. What was she doing in Slytherin? She was a Muggle-born too! Oh, if her house found out the truth…! She desperately wanted to blurt out the truth about her heritage, but some unknown force held her back. _Why_ had Sev wanted her to be in _this_ house? She was utterly horrified at the pressure from the others around her…Sev had told her something about them once…they had this crazy, pureblood ideology…how awful of him not to mention that Slytherins weren't supposed to be Muggle-born!

Lily knew the feeling of rejection all too well: she had been rejected by her own sister ever since finding out that she was a witch. Shunned and hidden from most of the Muggle world until she came to Hogwarts, Lily had been determined to fit in at school from the very beginning…finally, it was a place where she would belong…but now…she couldn't give in to the peer pressure, yet she couldn't bring herself to tell the truth now that she knew what treatment she would receive…

Finally, at the climax of the roars of "Go back to Muggle schools, Mudblood!", Melika caved in and ran up the stairs leading to the dormitory. Lily could hear the girl wailing miserably into a pillow a few seconds later…after all, she had only wanted acceptance. She inwardly cursed herself for being such a coward. Maybe this was why the Sorting Hat had placed her in Slytherin instead of Gryffindor…she didn't even have the courage to stand up for Melika, when she, too, was a Muggleborn…

Much to her dismay, Laika and Narcissa turned on her next, now that Melika had been successfully brought down.

"So…_Evans_…nasty common name," Laika hissed with an undertone of malice, her hazel eyes flickered in her direction. "Am I to believe that the House of Slytherin was so cursed this year that we have _two_ Mudbloods to disgrace our name?"

"No!" Lily blurted out at once. All eyes were on her now. The entire House of Slytherin was standing there, waiting for her moment of truth. Oh, how she wanted to simply run away…to run into Sev's caring arms…he was her only true friend, not these lunatics…but he was a Gryffindor now, and she _wasn't_…

"My…my father was a Muggle, see. But he died a long time ago," she fabricated quickly, praying silently that they would believe her. "My mum's a witch, though."

Silence.

"Half-blood?" The fifth year girl looked almost as disgusted as she would have been if Lily had told her the truth. Narcissa and Laika, however, simply looked unimpressed.

After several moments of tense silence, Laika shrugged uncaringly. "Better than being a Mudblood."

Lily took that as a sign of her acceptance, and the group dissipated…Melika's mournful wails from the dormitory were still echoing the common room below.

**xXxXxXxXx**

The brightly-lit common room was packed with people, but the noise immediately quieted as their newest member arrived. Frank Longbottom, one of the prefects, was the only one who approached Severus to greet him. They exchanged a discomfited hand-shake, before Longbottom turned around and told the rest of them to quit staring and welcome their new friend, Severus Snape.

A few people clapped monotonously, but everyone continued staring at him. Just after the feast, Severus began howling with rage how he was Sorted into the wrong house; it was impossible to miss how angry the new kid was with his placement as Gryffindor. He had been so blinded with ire that he had punched one of the prefects in the face, even though he knew deep down that they were just trying to help. Once the prefect was safely escorted to the Hospital Wing, McGonagall personally handled the delirious boy, telling everyone else to return to their common rooms at once.

Now, as he trudged up to his dormitory, Severus felt the heat rise to his cheeks in embarrassment. The only positive thing he could think of was that none of the Slytherins (mainly: Lily) had seen his outburst. However, the shame he felt as he marched through the room full of fellow Gryffindors made his flicker of optimism disappear.

He sullenly made it up to the door and closed it behind him, thankful for the darkness of the room. Just before he could sit on the bed, however, something smacked him in the face. It was soft and velvety, but completely unexpected. Another soon followed, but from a different direction. And another. And _another_!

He picked one of these squishy things up, and realized that he was being attacked by pillows. He launched one in the direction from where he was last hit, but he obviously missed.

"Argh!" he yelled as the pummeling grew stronger, and he fled the room for the safety of the common room. Severus raced down the stairs, but much to his dismay, the pillows continued flying at him. When he was ten or so stairs up from the bottom, a particularly heavy pillow whacked him in the back of his head, sending him flying to the ground below.

Landing with an astounding _thud!_, Severus blinked away the white spots in his eyes and saw a group of people towering over him, muttering if he was alright. Behind them, Severus spotted the overly-smug face of James Potter, standing with his arms crossed at the foot of the stairs.

"Get away from me," he snapped at the people next to him, most of which were more than happy to move away from the neurotic first year. He shoved the others out of the way and stomped over to Potter, who was now lazily twirling his wand.

"Welcome to Gryffindor, mate. Sirius and I thought we'd give you a proper greeting, seeing that you're in our house after all. Perhaps some tissues would have been better so you could cry over your lost girlfriend without snot running down your huge nose…"

"_LANGLOCK!" _Severus roared, with his wand pointed at Potter's mouth. Instantly, the boy stopped speaking and stared at Severus in horrified silence. Indeed, the boy was, literally, at a loss for words; he couldn't speak even if he had wanted to. Now it was Severus's turn to look smug as Potter grunted incoherently and gave him obscene gestures. Sirius, whom had been watching James's pillow-assault on the newcomer from the darkness in their dormitory, came out onto the balcony overlooking the common room and nearly doubled over in laughter at the sight of James being incapable of speaking.

Even quiet Lupin had looked up from his place next to the fire and muffled a snort of glee.

"What spell is _that_?" Sirius asked him casually, though Severus could detect that the boy was more than slightly impressed by the effects it had on James.

"Langlock," Severus stated modestly, feeling out of place now that he was suddenly in the limelight. "It uh, glues the tongue to the top of the mouth…I guess."

"James, you knew you had it coming," Lupin told his friend, only to receive a plethora of rude gestures in return. "I must say I'm impressed," he added to Severus, clapping him on the back. Severus felt his cheeks grow warm with embarrassment again, and he hastily flicked his wand at James, releasing his tongue from the curse.

"I'm gonna kill you!" he roared as he lunged at Severus, only to find himself immediately surrounded by several upperclass students with their wands held out threateningly.

"James, you are a bit annoying, mate," a redheaded third year informed him with a shrug, leaving his wand pointed at James's face. "And pillow-whomping a guy who doesn't want to be here in the first place was _not_ the best way to welcome him."

"I have to agree with Weasley on this one," Frank Longbottom glowered at James and Sirius. "You two couldn't have held off on the pranks until at least next week?"

"It was just a laugh," James said defiantly, looking to Sirius for help.

"It won't happen again," Sirius said glumly, though he didn't look nearly as infuriated as James at this defeat. After all, it wasn't _his_ tongue that had been glued to the top of his mouth by a freakish looking first year that didn't belong in Gryffindor in the first place!

Noticing how late it was, Longbottom ordered the first years off to bed. Sirius and Remus went up first, but as Severus went to reluctantly follow them, he felt a slight pressure on his arm. It was James.

"_Nobody_ humiliates me like that, Snivellus," he hissed angrily. _"Nobody_. I know you're not as great as everyone thinks you are now…I saw you fighting McGonagall earlier. You don't deserve to be in Gryffindor with that kind of attitude."

"Yes I do," Severus stated, feeling suddenly defensive over his right to be in this house. As miserable as he was before, he figured he might as well fit in with the Gryffindors, since he didn't exactly have a choice aside from dropping out of school.

"Really?" James smirked. "I'll see about that. Perhaps we can settle this over a duel? A Wizard's duel, at that?"

Severus blinked, not quite believing that Potter was challenging him to a magic duel on their first day at Hogwarts. But he knew magic…he had been waiting to show his skill and expertise for years…

"Very well," he answered, unwilling to give Potter the notion that he was too weak to duel. "The abandoned classroom near the Defense room. Tomorrow at midnight."

James smirk grew more menacing. "Excellent," he said softly. "Sirius is my second. Who's yours?"

Severus's eyes widened; he hadn't exactly made friends here yet, and he doubted Lupin would want to duel his friends in place of some fellow Gryffindor he had barely met. Apparently James had been planning this, for he continued quietly: "What is it Snivvy? Got no friends who'd risk their neck for you?"

"Lily Evans," Severus snarled at him without realizing what he was saying. It was the only friend that came to mind, and by now, James had provoked him so far that he had blurted her name out just to shut his arrogant mouth up.

"The Slytherin girl, no doubt? Very well, I hope she knows more than just petty little insults, Snivellus…or you're in for trouble."

With that, James shoved past him, leaving Severus standing in speechless horror at the bottom of the stairs.

* * *

**A/N: You may find that I'll use bits and pieces of real HP canon and place them in this story; HOWEVER: things are not always as they appear, so don't begin to think you will know what will happen...*mysterious noises***

**BTW: don't get too used to these uuber-quick updates...this was just a special treat (as long as I feel there's enough interest in the story, you should see chapter three within a week).**

**Please review. I don't want to beg, but seeing lots of reviews is a lot more encouraging than lots of hits to the story, and nobody taking the time to tell me what they thought...they honestly don't take that long, I swear!**


	3. Midnight Duel

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for reviewing so far! Sorry the update took a little longer than I had expected, but better late than never, right?**

**Disclaimer: I still own nothing related to Harry Potter, except for this plot idea, I suppose.**

* * *

"Sev!"

Severus jerked up from his table at the back of the Potions classroom at the sound of his best friend saying his name. Looking up at the doorway, he saw Lily flying at him, her red hair flinging around wildly behind her. As soon as she reached him, she nearly tackled him to the ground in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh Sev, I've missed you so much!" she exclaimed brightly as they sat back up. She was completely oblivious to the stares around them; Sev heard James and Sirius choking with laughter at the very front of the classroom.

"I missed you too, but it's only been one day…" Sev muttered awkwardly, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks from the odd looks people were giving them. Then again, this was Lily he was talking to. He didn't mind if people stared, because it didn't matter with her.

"Mornin' first years!" a voice boomed over the classroom. Lily paused from her frenetic whispering long enough to gawk at the huge-bellied man that had just entered the dungeon, introducing himself as Professor Slughorn.

"Is that the Potions master?" Lily asked in a low voice as she darted her head back and forth between Sev and the man at the front.

Sev nodded numbly as the man's enlarged stomach knocked over an empty cauldron on his desk. He began explaining that, as first years, they wouldn't be making too many complicated potions yet, but today they would start small. Sev paid him no attention however, and turned back to Lily. She was taking notes at a frantic pace, but paused when Sev rested a hand on her wrist.

"Calm down…all that stuff's in the book."

Lily blinked at him for a moment before hastily putting her quill down. "So how was your first day?"

"You first."

"Well..." Lily seemed unsure of what to say. "I suppose it's alright…I made two new friends," she nodded to Narcissa and Laika's backs. "I told them I was going to sit with you for Potions though. What about you?"

From the tone of her voice, Sev could tell that Lily wasn't telling him everything, but that didn't matter. Gazing at the back of Potter's oversized head, he remembered that he had something very important to tell Lily…

"Well…I can't be in Slytherin…I even went to Dumbledore about it," he added sadly. "And uh…Potter challenged me to a duel."

"He _what?!_"

Sev immediately shushed her, not wanting to create another scene. Students were already getting up to retrieve their ingredients, however, thus giving them some time to speak normally without being overheard.

"I…he deserved it okay?" he mumbled quietly, referring to Potter's embarrassing _Langlock_ scene from the previous night.

"Deserved what?" Lily asked as she stood up to go and retrieve their ingredients for the day's lesson.

"Nothing," he muttered under his breath. Lily gave him a doubtful glance, but walked over to the cabinet without prodding him further. Sev sighed inwardly. He still hadn't managed to tell her about her role in the duel yet. He knew he'd have to sooner or later, since you couldn't duel without a second…no matter how inexperienced the duelers are…

"Ready?" she asked anxiously as she returned with an armful of herbs and rocklike items.

They worked in silence for about ten minutes, before Sev knew he couldn't wait any longer. With a deep breath, he spoke up: "Lily…there's something else…I…I accidentally made you my second in the duel…"

He braced himself for an angry outburst, but found none. Lily just stared at him. "Second?"

He blinked back a few times, before it hit him: Lily was Muggleborn. She wouldn't know how a wizard's duel worked! Now he felt even stupider for volunteering her.

With another heaving sigh, he continued: "Second means you get up and fight Potter if I…let's just say if I become incapable of dueling anymore."

Lily's look of blissful oblivion contorted into one of shocked anger. "Sev, what were you thinking? I don't know how to duel! I can barely cast a spell on my own, let alone fight someone!"

While Lily continued ranting at him, Sev felt himself tune her out and focus on today's potion. He tried interrupting her several times to apologize and assure her it wouldn't be all that bad, but she wouldn't hear of it.

Not one to be boastful, Sev secretly knew that he could probably handle it on his own. He didn't know how much previous training James had received, but he was pretty sure that he had the upper hand on Potter when it came to Dark Art-related matters…

After thirty minutes of ranting and absentminded brewing, Lily seemed to have worn herself out. That or she ran out of excuses. Either way, Sev was mildly surprised when her shoulders drooped and she conceded to being his second towards the end of the class session.

"But Sev, how will we get out? Won't we get in huge trouble if we're caught?" she asked him feverishly.

Sev smirked. "Just don't get caught then."

Lily punched him playfully. "That's not as easy as it sounds, you know."

"I know," Sev almost managed a small smile, when Professor Slughorn rounded to their table to examine their potion. He peered inside the cauldron, completely oblivious to Sev and Lily's worried expressions. They hadn't exactly tried their best today; Lily felt especially bad for arguing with Sev for so long, making it harder for both of them to concentrate on the task placed upon them. To their surprise, however, Slughorn beamed at them from the top of their cauldron.

"This is brilliant! I've never seen a better attempt at this potion by first years! What's your name?" he looked at Lily, who blushed from Slughorn's praise.

"I'm…Lily Evans, sir…but it was…"

"Oh ho! Could you possibly be related to Professor Bernardo Evans? He taught Potions here at Hogwarts nearly three centuries ago…"

Lily turned a fierce shade of scarlet. "Um, no sir…my father was a Muggle, see."

Sev paused. Why did she only mention her father? She should be proud of being so good at Potions and being Muggleborn at that…noticing the embarrassed look on her face, however, he decided not to push the issue.

"It was mostly Sev, here, sir," Lily nodded to Sev. "He's the best potioneer I've ever known."

Now it was Sev's turn to feel embarrassed. Slughorn turned his back on Lily and asked him his name. "Snape, sir. Severus Snape."

"Snape huh?" Slughorn racked his brains for a moment, before shaking his head in bewilderment. "I don't know of any famous Snapes in Potions' history."

Sev looked at Lily, but she wouldn't even look at him for some reason. "Well, my father's a Muggle too, sir. My mum was never good at Potions though…"

"No matter though!" Slughorn boomed. "Ten points for Slytherin for the each of you!"

Sev felt his face grow warmer as Slughorn turned to leave. He wanted to leave it at that, but he didn't want to earn points for a house he wasn't in…

"Actually sir," he said in a small voice. "I'm in Gryffindor."

Slughorn stopped at once, and whirled around to face him. His eyes seem to observe him more in-depth now; making Sev feel like his privacy was being invaded. He squirmed uncomfortably under the scrutiny of his teacher and his peers. Laika and Narcissa snorted softly over the low murmur of giggles throughout the classroom.

"Sorry about that," Slughorn said at last. "You just look like a Slytherin to me, I suppose. Ten points for Gryffindor, then."

**xXxXxXxXx**

Lily glanced at her Muggle watch. It was ten minutes until midnight. As anxious as she had felt earlier, she felt strangely calm now. For some reason, it didn't seem to register in her mind that she might be going to watch Potter destroy Sev in front of her very eyes. She knew Sev was pretty good, but what if Potter was better?

She quietly crept up from her bed, trying not to make any noise as she slipped into her regular cloak and grabbed her wand. Just as she made her way to the door, she stepped on something in the darkness, emitting a loud _crack!_

Lily's hands flew to her mouth, trying not to gasp in surprise. It was too late, however. Laika and Narcissa had woken up. Melika, on the other hand, remained steadily asleep, completely unaware of what was going on around her.

"Lily?" Narcissa's sleepy voice drifted through the darkness of the room. "What are you doing?"

Just as Lily was about to speak, she found the lit end of Laika's wand dangerously close to her forehead. Her hazel eyes silently glazed over Lily's appearance; finally landing on her traveling shoes and wand.

"Going out?" Laika asked, knowing the answer already.

Feeling defiant, Lily nodded. She didn't bother saying anything else, and proceeded through the dormitory's exit before either girl could stop her.

Just as she reached the strangely-silent common room, however, she felt two hands on her shoulders. Fighting back the urge to scream, Lily whirled around to see Laika and Narcissa standing there in their cloaks and shoes as well.

"We don't want you having all the fun, you know…I heard you talking to that Snape boy about a duel…we wouldn't want to miss that…" Laika informed her in a non-nonsense tone.

"But…"

"We won't get into trouble. My brother's a prefect."

"But a teacher…"

Lily trailed off as Laika and Narcissa gave each other exasperated looks before turning back to face her.

"_Honestly_ Lily, give it up, we've barely seen Hogwarts and with our classes getting heavier, it looks like this'll be our only chance to really get out."

Narcissa smirked. "Besides, if we _don't_ come, we could always go and have a little chat with Lucius about you…the rogue first year…"

Lily bit back another retort and sighed in defeat. "Fine, but if you guys get caught, it's not my fault."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"If we get caught, it's all your fault," James muttered under his breath as he, Sirius, and Sev prowled the fifth floor corridor. He and Sirius were at the front, with Sev trailing the two boys ten feet back, not wanting to get too close to the boy he was about to duel.

"Where is this classroom anyways?" Sirius complained. "I'm sick of wandering. If we keep this up we'll get…"

"Shhhh!" Sev shushed him at once. Coming around the nearest corner was a creepy, yellow-eyed cat. It stared at them blankly for a few moments, before slowly creeping closer to the three boys.

"That must be Mrs. Norma!" James hissed to the other two, his eyes wide.

"Filch's stinky cat?" Sirius eyed the cat suspiciously. They were all thinking the same thing: if it went back to Filch, the duel would undoubtedly be called off…

Just as the ugly brown cat got within striking distance, Sirius kicked out at it with his long leg and the three tore off in the opposite direction.

"Why'd you kick the stupid cat?" Sev hissed as they sprinted past statues of past Hogwarts professors.

"What choice did I have? Let it go tell Filch?" Sirius snapped back before slamming into James. "Oi!"

"This is the place," James whispered as he righted himself and opened the door slowly. He and Sirius didn't bother waiting for Sev to catch up.

"_Idiot!_" Sev panted as he shut the door quickly behind him. "It's only a matter of time before Filch finds us!"

"_I'm_ the idiot, am I?" Sirius glared at him and pulled out his wand. "It's _your _fault we can't just settle for dueling in the common room…had to choose a bloody Slytherin as your second…"

"The common room would have been far riskier than this!"

"Hey," James cut them off. He was observing the nearly-empty room before them with mild interest, and then he turned to Sirius and Sev. "Looks like Snivvy's little girlfriend never showed."

"Actually she's been waiting in here for fifteen minutes, _Potter_," a cold voice came out of the darkness. The figures of three girls appeared from the shadows behind the boys, making them all jump in fright.

The speaker, Narcissa, smirked at the three of them, namely, Sirius. "_So_ sorry Sir-Sir, I didn't mean to frighten you."

Sirius's expression of surprise immediately contorted into a look of pure loathing. "Cissy…" he replied through clenched teeth. "I didn't realize _you_ would be here."

"Hey, let's just start already," James cut in, trying to ease the tension between the cousins. He looked anxiously at the now-locked door, half-expecting Filch to burst through any second.

"Right," Sev muttered as he walked out onto the open area in the middle of the vast room. James walked to the other side, with Sirius waiting on the sidelines. On Sev's side, Lily waited apprehensively next to Laika and Narcissa, both of whom looked completely undeterred by the scene in front of them.

As James and Sev casually walked down to the center of the room, Lily couldn't help but feel amazed at how calm Sev was. They paused in the middle, and jerked their wands up at the exact same time. There was no sound in the entire room; it was as though a Silencing Charm had been cast over the barely-lit place.

Their wands stiffly dropped to their sides, and each boy whirled around, retreating in perfect synchronization. Once they reached the end of their respective sides, they both held their wands high.

James began the countdown, looking extremely focused and even slightly _nervous_. "One…two…three!"

"_Expelliarmus!_" Sev bellowed before James even had time to open his mouth. A flash of bright light erupted from the tip of his wand, and within seconds, James was lying on the floor, flat on his back and now wandless.

Narcissa and Laika shrieked with laughter; Lily remained quiet, but couldn't help smiling at Sev's lightning-fast Disarming Spell. Potter didn't stand a chance against him, surely…

"Why are they fighting each other if they're in the same house?" Laika whispered to Lily while Narcissa and Sirius resumed shouting insults at each other from opposite sides of the room.

Lily shrugged and looked back at James. He was on his feet once more, and apparently, Sev had given the boy enough time to retrieve his wand before resuming the duel. Looking flushed with humiliation, James held out his wand, just daring Sev to try another Disarming Spell on him. Sev did nothing; after all, what fun was a duel if you were always on the offensive?

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" James yelled dramatically with his wand pointed directly at Sev's heart.

Everyone waited in restless silence, but nothing happened. Not even a single spark erupted from the end of his wand.

"_Petrificus Totalus!_" he yelled again, but this time, with less confidence. Still nothing.

Laika and Narcissa were beside themselves with laughter at this point. Part of Lily felt kind of bad for him; after all, if it was _her _up there, she'd have no idea what to do either. Then again…it was Potter's dumb arrogance that had gotten him into this mess. Sev wasn't the challenger; therefore Lily found it much easier _not_ to feel sorry for Potter now.

She glanced to the right, where Sev stood in place with his arms crossed over his chest. He looked slightly amused by James's inability to perform the simple Body Bind Spell.

"Honestly Potter," Sev sneered as he closed in on James. "I thought you would have at least known how to duel when you challenged me…_Petrificus Totalus!_"

At once, James body went entirely rigid; he dropped his wand and fell to the floor with a deafening _thud!_

The girls' jaws dropped. Lily knew Sev was good, but she hadn't realized he was _this _good!

"Seems like Snape knows a few spells," Laika muttered under her breath, sounding slightly impressed.

"Great job Sev!" Lily cheered him on. He looked back at her and attempted a small smile. He didn't exactly like all of this attention, however, so he casually flicked his wand at James, releasing him immediately. His cheeks grew warm as the he overheard Narcissa goading Sirius again, and Lily was whispering excitedly to Laika that Sev was one of her best friends, and he was also the best wizard she knew. Not used to such flattery, Sev almost turned to tell the girls to cut it out, but he had other issues at the moment: James, infuriated by Sev's successful attempt at the Body Bind Spell that had rendered him helpless for several moments, was barreling down on him with a murderous expression on his face…

Lily, too, noticed this, and panicked. "Sev look out!"

"_STUPEFY!_"

"_PROTEGO!_"

Much to everyone's shock, the Stunning Spell rebounded off of the shield and hit the caster, sending James flying backwards and crashing into rows of dusty desks at the back of the classroom.

As the dust settled, Lily felt everyone staring at her. There were two seconds of complete silence, before Sirius stomped over and began yelling.

"You can't interfere with the duel! It's against the rules of…"

"Oh shut up, Sirius, like she really…"

"You're one to talk, _Cissy_…I thought you'd at least know how duels work thanks to dear Bellatrix…"

"Don't bring my sister into this!" Narcissa shrieked, pulling out her wand and pointing it at Sirius's head.

"Hey!" James got up from his crumpled mess and stood next to Sirius; both of their wands pointed at Narcissa's forehead.

"Stop! I can hear…"

"Shut up Evans! It's _your_ fault you ruined the entire duel," James hissed nastily, moving his wand from Narcissa to her. "I thought half-bloods knew how to duel properly, but I must have been mistaken…"

"Hey! Don't point that at Lily!" Sev growled at James, poking him in the side of the head with his own wand.

"What is going on in here?" a quiet voice asked from the doorway.

Instantly, all of the kids stopped their arguing and turned around to face the intruder. It was none other than Lucius Malfoy. He stood alone, pointing his wand at James and Sirius. Laika's face went from furious to gleeful in a matter of milliseconds.

"Lower your wands," he ordered them. Glaring at the prefect badge emblazoned on the older boy's chest, Sirius and James jerked their wands down to their sides.

"You too, Snape," Lucius hissed at him, even though he was technically on the girls' side for this one. "Laika?" he asked softly, turning his attention to the three girls, all of which hadn't lowered their own wands yet. "What is going on in here?"

"They were dueling, Lucius," she replied accusingly, pointing at Sev and James.

James opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately silenced.

"Snape and Potter? Interesting, indeed…oh, and naturally Black had to come along to feel important…"

Sirius glowered at the tall blonde boy, but said nothing. It looked as though they were in enough trouble as it was…

"I think fifty points from Gryffindor will be sufficient," Lucius said maliciously, his eyes glazed over the three boys with a look of upmost contempt.

"Fifty?!" James roared. "You can't do that!"

"Would you like me to make it one hundred?" Lucius asked threateningly. This quieted James at once, but he instead glared at Sev, as though it was his fault.

Feeling that justice had been served, Lucius turned his attention to the girls. "Back to your dormitory, ladies."

"WHAT?!" Sirius yelled, unable to hold back this time. "Why don't they lose points? They're out past curfew too! You're such a damn ba—"

"Yes?" Lucius prodded him further, raising his right eyebrow inquisitively.

Sirius's entire body shook with rage, but he managed to hold his tongue this time. Realizing that Gryffindor now had less than zero house points because of the three of them, Sev tugged his housemates' cloaks and they stomped towards the exit.

"We're going back to our room now," Sev informed Lucius before James or Sirius could try insulting the prefect further. Without a single glance back at the girls, the three young Gryffindors left the dark room as though nothing had happened at all…

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**A/N: Please review. I'll respond to comments as soon as I can. Chapter four should be up within a week :)**


	4. The Gryffindor, the Witch & the Wardrobe

**A/N: Whee!!! Thank you to all of my wonderful reviewers, you guys are awesome! This chapter is where things will start to get a little more interesting, so I hope you thoroughly enjoy it! :)**

* * *

"Good morning, class."

None of the first years replied. Instead, they were too busy staring at their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's strange appearance. She wore an ancient green cloak with brown, knee-high boots that had obnoxious brass buckles near the laces. Underneath the curly, vomit-orange wig, they could barely make out a hint of dirty blonde hair, and she had enormous rainbow earrings hanging down her Knut-sized ears. In the cloak's pockets, she seemed to be filled to the brim in gold Galleons.

"I said 'good morning!'" she shrieked and pounded her fist on her desk impatiently, almost snapping her gold wand in the process. Some of the coins jiggled out of her pockets and spilled onto the ground, though she paid no attention to them. Everyone immediately straightened in their seats and mumbled a hasty "good morning" in return.

She calmed down at once, and continued: "I am Professor Chapluck, as you all know from Dumbledore's kind introduction at the Welcoming Feast…"

Sev looked over his shoulder at Lily. He had tried sitting with her at the beginning of class, but the demented professor screamed that there would be order in her class; therefore students must only sit and work with members of their houses.

Now, it looked like Sev would be paired with Remus, since he highly doubted the other two arrogant dunderheads at their table would want to work with him after what happened last night.

They were enraged to see no glittering rubies in their house's hourglass this morning. Strangely, it was Hufflepuff that won the House Cup the last two years, but now it looked as though Slytherin would win this year. James and Sirius, of course, blamed Sev for being sympathetic to Slytherin; saying that he didn't mind losing the House Cup to them. Sev retorted back that he only cared about what house he was in, but the other two wouldn't hear of it.

His only chance to redeem himself was by doing well in his subjects. Charms, he soon learned, was _not_ his best subject. Nor was Transfiguration, but he blamed that on his newfound fear of McGonagall.

As for Defense Against the Dark Arts…he had every intention of being the best in this class.

While Chapluck droned on, he was disappointed to hear that his crazy, Leprechaun-obsessed teacher would mostly resort to teaching them defensive _theory_, rather than actual magic.

"Today however…I want you all to try Disarming Spells," Chapluck informed them in a stiff voice. "Can anyone give me an example of a simple Disarming Spell?"

Her pale hazel eyes swept over the classroom. With a nervous glance at James, Sev hesitantly raised his hand. His only intention was to earn back their lost house points after all…

"_Expelliarmus_, professor," he replied in a low voice. To his left, Sirius and James were giving him murderous looks. Remus, on his right, however, gave him an encouraging smile.

"Correct. Five points to…er, Gryffindor, right?"

Feeling the heat rise to his cheeks at Chapluck's uncertainty, he nodded before dropping his head and stared at the new book on his lap.

"One you have read pages twelve through thirty, I want you to pair up and practice this basic spell."

The classroom was quiet for about thirty minutes, until James decided that he was sick of reading about the mechanisms of Disarming Spells and started Transfiguring everyone's quills into bugs instead. Transfiguration, after all, was his best subject, and he couldn't get away with pranking Sev right under Evans's nose, anyways.

"Okay, pair up now," Chapluck told them drearily, not yet noticing the unusually large number of insects scurrying around the room.

"I'm with Remus!" Sirius called out at once, shocking both James and Sev. Even Remus looked pleasantly surprised by this.

"What?!" James yelled at Sirius, not noticing the devilish look on his friend's face as he joined Remus on the other side of the table. James looked at Sev in disgust and glared at Sirius.

Sirius sniggered. "James, I know you could use a bit of help with Disarming…so I figured I'd be nice and let you partner with Snivvy today."

Sev knew it was a joke, for James to be paired with him just because the two loathed each other. He still didn't appreciate the rude nickname, however, and it didn't exactly make him feel better to know that he would always be the "last resort" partner for the three boys.

Slamming his wand on the table with such force that it was amazing he didn't snap it in half, James stood up and gave Sev a death glare. Chapluck then magically Vanished the tables around them and ordered each pair to stand at least fifteen feet away from each other.

James and Sev, much in the same fashion as their duel the previous night, walked to their opposite sides of the room and raised their wands. Sev wasn't really in the mood for another duel, seeing that James was quite angry with Sev, and it was only their third day at Hogwarts. The fact that Gryffindor was already hurting in the house point rankings didn't help either boy's mood either.

"Now remember, we're _Disarming only_! Detention for anyone who tries otherwise," Chapluck added with a scathing look towards Sev and James. "One…two…three…go!"

"_Expelliarmus!_" Sev yelled before Chapluck even finished saying "go." James was about to do the same thing, but Sev was quicker, much to his dismay.

Sev's instinctive reaction made the spell stronger than he intended, though, and James was not only Disarmed, but blasted off his feet as well. Once again, Sev felt his cheeks burn as nearly everyone in the room stared at him. The four Slytherin girls towards the back of the room ignored him, at least.

Apparently Laika and Narcissa had paired up, and left Lily to pair up with some other girl Sev didn't recognize.

"Hey Melika, that was good," Lily tried encouraging the other girl after her own wand was sent flying out of her hand on Melika's second try. Instead of appreciating the compliment, however, the girl just scowled.

"Okay…" Lily retrieved her wand and mentally prepared herself for her turn. She'd already tried this spell four times without luck, but as she watched Sev towards the front of the room, she memorized his technique and tried again. "_Expelliarmus!_"

Melika's eyes widened as the spell hit her, and she was sent flying at a large cabinet behind her, much like James had when Sev's spell hit him. Noticing that Sev had been watching her practice, Lily saw him mouth "nice job" at her, but she was too worried about Melika to respond.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Before Sev could return his attention to James, he, too, was blasted off his feet. He landed painfully on his back, feeling it crack in some places from the impact of the fall. He grabbed his wand and leaped to his feet, not wanting to make it look like he was really just hit by Potter's spell. James didn't even try attacking again, however; he just looked on with an air of smugness. Sev scowled, loathing the fact that Potter had managed to Disarm in his moment of distraction.

"I don't know what to think about you Snivellus. You seem so focused one second, and distracted by your ickle girlfriend the next."

Although Lily wasn't his girlfriend, James' words triggered Sev to look over at her again. Her partner was now yelling angrily at her and attempting to shove Lily away by physical force.

"Get away from me!"

"Melika, please…" Lily tried pleading to her, but the girl would hear none of it. The entire class was now watching the strange scene in front of them, save for Professor Chapluck, whom was too busy counting gold on her front desk to pay attention to the class.

"Don't start with me! I know you're just as bad as those two—"

"Hey—" Lily darted a nervous glance over to Narcissa and Laika; both of whom were listening intently along with the rest of their classmates.

"Leave me alone Evans, I know you hate Muggleborns, so stop trying to pretend that you actually care about me!"

Lily was speechless. The entire room went silent, and she felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment. Laika and Narcissa were waiting anxiously for her to respond. It was the moment of truce: fess up to her lie in front of everyone and possibly lose her only friends, or go the hypocrite route. Inwardly cursing herself and completely avoiding Sev's gaze, she responded quietly: "No! I...well..._fine_. Have it your way then."

With another quick glance at her two friends, Lily added coldly: "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't insult my friends, thanks."

Laika and Narcissa came up behind her and stood on either side of her, putting their hands on her shoulders in support. Somehow, Lily didn't feel very appreciative of this and wished for nothing more than to disappear.

"Anything else you want to say, Mudblood?" Laika sneered at Melika, whom by now, had realized that everyone was watching her. Her defiant expression vanished, and she now looked at the surrounding crowds of students, feeling humiliated by the lack of support from everyone, even the other houses that usually supported Muggleborns.

From the other side of the room, Sev stared at Lily in shock. Did she really just say what he thought she said? How…how could she let her 'friends' get away with that? They had called the other girl a Mudblood…and Lily just stood there and allowed it! Sev didn't want to confront her in front of everyone, but he had never felt so disappointed in his friend before…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"This is effing ridiculous," Sirius complained angrily as he scrubbed harder at the grime on the ancient trophy in his hands.

"I'll bet Malfoy planned the whole thing…how convenient that her brother shows up and doesn't give _them_ detention…"

Sev tuned the other two out and focused on his trophy. It was nearly golden-colored again, and he could barely read that it was an old Quidditch trophy from 1942. After only pausing for a few seconds, he felt Filch rap him over the head with his cane and bark for him to keep working.

He couldn't believe that on his third day at Hogwarts they had already managed to get a detention. He thought the fifty points taken from Gryffindor was bad enough, but on top of that, McGonagall had found it prudent to give the trio detention as well. The worst part was undoubtedly having to do this manually, rather than magically.

Normally he would have been furious to have to do everything like a Muggle, but at the moment, his mind was elsewhere. He still couldn't believe what Lily had done in Defense today…not only had she failed to support a fellow Muggleborn Slytherin, but she sided with Laika and Narcissa. Those girls were from some of the oldest pureblood lines in the Wizarding world, Sev knew, and they _hated_ Muggleborns like the rest of Slytherin did apparently. Did Lily forget she was a Muggleborn or…?

Suddenly, he felt a wave of cold realization wash over him: Lily had always been worried about becoming an outcast before coming to Hogwarts. Maybe she hadn't even told her house about being Muggleborn but…nope, that definitely made sense. Not mentioning her Muggle mother to Slughorn…James's comment about her being a half-blood at the duel…and now this. It all fit once Sev connected everything: Lily had lied in order to fit in with her fellow Slytherins.

Still unwilling to believe it, Sev shook these thoughts out of his mind. He must be overreacting…Lily would _not_ have lied. That didn't sound like her at all. She was just too intimidated by her friends to stick up for the other Muggleborn…right? Unfortunately, Sev knew that that wasn't the case. Lily must have lied. Everything fit too well.

Sev wasn't sure if he should feel comforted by this revelation or repulsed. On one hand, he completely understood where Lily was coming from: she just wanted to fit in, something he also desired as a Gryffindor. Considering the fact that besides Lily, he's never had a real friend, he knew he'd be just as willing to fib in order to fit in…

Then again…Lily was in huge trouble if anyone found out…her own friends were from the worst pureblood-ideology families known to the Wizarding world. What if someone found out and told them? Would she be shunned and disregarded like that fourth Slytherin girl from today? Sev shook his head violently, not wanting to think about that right now…

"Sirius," he suddenly heard James whisper in the dimly-lit room. "Filch's gone after Peeves!"

"So…?"

"So," he answered mischievously. "I think that's our dismissal, mate."

"Where are you going?" Sev hissed as he watched the two troublemakers as they attempted to sneak from the room unnoticed. It was obvious they had hoped to depart without him knowing, judging by the annoyed scowls on their faces.

"Out," Sirius replied tersely as he and James tried to jostle their way through the doorway.

"Wait!" Sev chucked the stupid Quidditch trophy aside and ran after them, not wanting to wait for Filch to return and have to explain why his two housemates were gone. "You two can't leave! We'll lose more house points!"

Sirius snorted and looked at James in mock horror. "Oh no! Not the house points!"

"Go away Snivellus, we're leaving and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

"Fine," Sev retorted, highly annoyed by Potter's extreme arrogance. "Then you give me no choice but to follow."

"_Follow?!"_ Sirius yelped and darted a quick glance at James, but he was already striding away, clearly looking for something. Sirius and Sev raced after him. Sev didn't care that they didn't want him around; he was coming to make sure they wouldn't try anything stupid that would drop Gryffindor below the zero point's line again. Down the hall, James had opened a door on the left side of the corridor.

"_James!_" Sirius yelled as he tore after him and ran into the room. He tried slamming the door in Sev's face, but he was too late: Sev managed to get inside just in time.

"Stupid git," he panted furiously and made an obscene gesture at Sev.

"I could say the same," Sev replied with equal ire. Suddenly, there was a loud rumbling noise from the end of the room, making each boy look up and replace their infuriated glares with looks of puzzlement.

"I found this room earlier today…I was going to find out what was in this thing but…" James trailed off as he ran a hand along the smooth wood of the wardrobe. It was completely dark in this room, so Sev held up his wand and muttered "_Lumos._" Ignoring the irritated expression on Sirius' face, he, too, followed them over to the end of the room. The light from the tip of the wand spilled onto the shadow-laden ground, making the place seem more frightening than it really was. A low layer of mist poured in through a crack in the window on the far side of the room, making it so cold that Sev felt as though he was about to have his first encounter with dementors…

"What's that?" Sirius asked as James walked over to a shaking wardrobe. Whatever was inside of it, it was _not_ happy, judging by the increasing rattling.

_Maybe it __**is**__ a dementor_, Sev thought worriedly as he inched his way backwards. If it was a dementor, he'd much rather see it kiss James or Sirius before it went for his own soul…

"Let's open it," James whispered with a stroke of inspiration. Sirius' face immediately lit up, and the two jerked on either door of the violently-shaking wardrobe. Sev paused and groaned inwardly. Did these two idiots _ever_ think before acting?

The wood splintered slightly as the two boys wrenched open the doors and waited on either side. The rattling immediately ceased; doubling Sev's anxious anticipation for what was inside. While he had expected a dementor to float out of the dresser, what he saw was _much_ worse…

A dark figure walked out, swaying drunkenly to the side as it made its way into Sev's path. Paralyzed with fear, Sev didn't move, but kept his wand held high. James and Sirius started to laugh at this display of fear, but quieted after a moment when they realized that Sev was really, _truly_ scared…

The vague figure looked almost exactly like Sev, except he was older and looked quite mad. It had the same greasy black hair and pale face…its eyes opened, revealing angry raven-colored pupils.

"Oi Snivellus, it's you…" Sirius snorted, trying to make Sev cut it out, but the other boy continued to look on in terror. His entire body shook, but he didn't look away. Instead, his eyes remained fixated in horror on the elderly-version of himself that had just stumbled out of the wardrobe.

"Finished with yer mum," the thing growled as it advanced towards Sev. Its ugly, yellowed-hand was outstretched, ready to grab Sev when he came within its reach. His clothes were revolting and mismatched, giving him the appearance of a homeless Muggle…

"You leave Mum alone!" Sev yelled. He continued shaking and remained frozen to his spot near the exit; his lit wand still aloft. The light grew dimmer, though, the longer he stood there and stared at the figure as though he were in a trance. Maybe it was just the boys' imaginations, but the room seemed to grow chillier as well…

"Weak like yer mum you are…"

"Stop it!" Sev shouted before crumpling to his feet, unable to remain standing any longer. Memories flooded back to him all at once: memories of his parents fighting…his mother's unconscious body lying on the ground amongst the empty bottles…his _father_ raging into the room and kicking her limp form…mocking his son's strangled cries of agony for his mother…the sting of the metal pan thumping across the back of his head…

Darting panicked looks at each other, Sirius and James rushed over to Sev and tried pulling him away from the closely-approaching shadowy figure of Tobias Snape.

"Get away!" Sev screamed. By now he was too delirious to tell who was grabbing him, so he thrashed around wildly in a mad attempt to escape, but Sirius and James held firmly onto either arm, unwilling to let go. Sev was now blinded with hatred for the man whom he had always been forced to refer to as "father." His rage was overwhelming, and having his father show up at _Hogwarts_, Sev's only refuge from the old man's drunken wrath, made the pain inexplicably worse.

"Severus!" James tried to shake him out of it; unsure of what else to do for the panic-stricken boy. Sev was now writhing so uncontrollably that it would have seemed as though he were placed under a well-cast Cruciatus Curse. Tears fell unashamedly down Sev's face…he wasn't even able to notice that James had used his real name for once…

Looking into the figure's heartless black eyes in front of him, Sev experienced what could have been described as reverse-Occlumency: his father snapping his mum's wand…his tenth birthday present, a wonderful new Potions set, being unceremoniously tossed into the mud…Tobias slaughtering the new owl that Eileen had bought for Sev in Diagon Alley the week before he was set to leave for Hogwarts…

Finally, the stumbling man was just three strides away from the boys. Sev was beyond desperation by now; even the strength of two boys could not keep him quiet with Tobias' figure so close. Sirius felt his grip on Sev slackening; the other boy was drenched in sweat, thus making it quite difficult to continue holding on to him.

"Do something James!" Sirius yelled over Sev's ragged gasps of unfathomable torture. Unsure of what else to do, James jerked his wand out and held it facing the inebriated man. No spell came to his lips however, so he just held his wand out feebly. The man was unfazed by the young wizard's daring, however, and continued forward as though he was going to bulldoze over a mere flower patch.

"NO!" Sev roared as the man's hand came down towards them, reaching only for Sev's hair. The pale white hand soon grasped Sev's greasy black locks and jerked him upwards with surprising force. Sev immediately roared out in pain, temporarily startling the two boys next to him. Sirius and James tried to hold him down, but this only made the man tug harder and harder, to the point where he was ripping huge chunks of hair out of Sev's head. He felt as though his head was splitting open, and resumed crying out in torment as Tobias angrily jerked another handful of hair.

"JAMES!" Sirius bellowed for his friend to do something, lest they prolong their housemate's suffering longer than necessary. His own wand was lying uselessly off to the side and out of reach; if James did nothing, then Sev might be tortured to death right in front of them…

Unbeknownst to the three boys, there was now a fourth person in the room, but they had hidden amongst the shadows; watching the disturbing scene involving the three young Gryffindors and the unruly boggart. James went to open his mouth (not exactly sure of a spell that would repel this monstrous man), but the intruder beat him to it: _"Riddikulus."_

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I don't know if boggarts can speak, but for the sake of the plot, let's assume they can. Who was the mysterious fourth person? I suppose you will have to find out later! *evil laughter***

**Now press that little button below these words and review, review, REVIEW! :D**


	5. The Gryffindor's Fall

_Thank you, my wonderful reviewers! Sorry for the long update, this chapter was really long and my newest story, "An Unlikely Rescuer" has been eating up all of my free time lately, so this took a bit longer than I had originally intended (if you like HarryxSnape mentor fics, I recommend it wholeheartedly). A special thanks to **Talon3** for one of the ideas in this chapter (see your chapter two review if you don't remember)._

_Disclaimer: I WANT to own Harry Potter, but my name isn't JK Rowling, so I suppose i can't :(_

* * *

"_Riddikulus!_"

The frightening figure of Tobias Snape immediately evaporated into nothingness, leaving behind the terrified Gryffindors and none other than Albus Dumbledore. The three boys all jumped simultaneously at the sound of the old headmaster's voice, but calmed down at the disappearance of the boggart that had nearly left Severus bald from the vast amount of hair it had so torturously ripped out of his head.

"_Professor Dumbledore?"_ James asked incredulously, looking dumbstruck by the unexpected appearance of the headmaster. With a quick glance at Sev, who was still trembling uncontrollably, he darted his attention back to Dumbledore. "Sir! It…it wasn't…"

"It wasn't us, I swear!" Sirius cut James off with an equally panicked expression on his face. Both boys looked back and forth between themselves, Sev, and Dumbledore, worrying whether or not the headmaster would blame them for torturing Sev. What if they were expelled? It was only their third day here, they couldn't leave now!

"Sir, we honestly…had no idea…we would never…" James gasped out every word as though he were fighting for his chance to stay at Hogwarts with every single thing he said.

Before Sirius could dive into another lengthy speech about how he and James were innocent, Dumbledore held up his wizened hand to silence both of them. His calm blue eyes twinkled sadly as he glanced over at Sev; the unnaturally pale boy was now staring petulantly out the window, not quite able to hide the fear that seemed permanently etched into his face.

Motioning for the boys to stay where they were, Dumbledore silently walked over to the miserable boy and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Severus," he whispered tenderly, not wishing to upset him further, if that was even possible at this point. He didn't budge at Dumbledore's touch, but remained standing there; his eyes were rigidly fixated on a crack in the glass, mulling over the memories of his childhood…

Never, in all his eleven years of living with the man, had Sev had a positive experience with his father. Not once.

He had tried unsuccessfully for years to live up to his old man's wild expectations, failing miserably at every attempt. It had gotten so bad to the point where Sev had committed academic suicide when he dropped out of Muggle school when he was just eight years old, much to his father's infuriation. At the time, only Eileen and Sev were aware that he would probably be going to Hogwarts in three years anyways; Tobias, however, was forever unforgiving about Sev's dropout.

He was utterly wretched at his father's newfound hatred of him for quite some time…and then one miraculous day he found a savior: a red headed girl that was doing unusual things in the park, much to her older sister's fright…

Once he had met Lily, everything changed. It no longer mattered that his father hated him more than taxes. It didn't matter than everyone made fun of him for being so stupid that he was supposedly kicked out of school just three years into it. Nothing in Severus's world mattered but Lily Evans. She was the light in his times of darkness; the only person who could bring joy to his life without having to do or say anything. Just her presence was enough.

Her magical abilities made her even more special to Sev; once his father had snapped his mum's wand, she gave up everything having to do with magic, including teaching her son about the Wizarding world. Taking what little scraps of information he knew, Sev was able to share his enthusiasm for magic with someone else who was just as excited as he was.

Thinking about Lily made Sev feel slightly better. He turned away from his position near the window and stared up at Dumbledore. His piercing blue eyes seemed to go right through him, but Sev knew that even wizards couldn't read minds…right?

"Who was that, Severus?" he asked in a curiously apathetic manner. Emotionally drained to the point beyond caring, however, Sev didn't notice this, and instead replied almost inaudibly: "My…my father…"

Dumbledore's forehead creased, appearing to be deep in thought. James and Sirius were still waiting behind them; uncharacteristically exhibiting displays of self-control for once in their lives. They didn't hear Sev's answer to the headmaster's question, though they had a pretty good idea of who the man had been.

"Sir…?" James finally felt it was acceptable to speak now. "What…what was that?"

"We didn't make it do that," Sirius added quickly, giving James a fearful look.

Dumbledore slowly turned around, pulling Sev along with him to face his housemates. He was smiling serenely, as though nothing had happened at all.

"It was a boggart, Mr. Potter—"

"What's a bog—"

"Please allow me to finish, Mr. Black," Dumbledore gently scolded the boy. "A boggart is a shape-shifting creature. Unfortunately, as Severus just learned, they form into one's worst fear when released."

"Worst fear?" James repeated, shooting a look of horror at Sirius; _we released a boggart!_

Their panic was exceedingly obvious to the veteran professor, but he merely smiled lazily at them.

"Sir…?" Sev suddenly broke through the silence in a small, raspy voice, making all three heads turn towards him at once. "How did you know we were in here?"

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose in amusement. "I was once a student here, too…you three should be more careful in your little adventures around the castle, of course, but there will be no further punishment, as I do not wish to appear hypocritical."

"Even though we ditched detention?!" Sirius blurted out without thinking. James glared at him for reminding the headmaster of this and jabbed him painfully in the ribs.

Dumbledore nodded. "I would hope you won't try that again, however…I may not be as agreeable the next time this happens."

James and Sirius blew out collective sighs of relief, and then looked tentatively over towards Sev, who was still standing next to Dumbledore. James almost smiled, but decided against it; he wasn't exactly keen to being friends with the strange boy just yet, but he at least managed to mumble a low apology.

Sirius followed the suit, and Dumbledore looked down at Sev once more. "You were very brave, Severus. I believe the Sorting Hat was indeed correct in placing you into Gryffindor."

"I still got scared though," Sev muttered awkwardly under his breath, not wanting to meet Dumbledore's gaze again…it made him feel very uncomfortable, looking into those intense blue eyes…gave him the impression that his innermost soul was being x-rayed…

Dumbledore firmly clasped him on the shoulder once more. "But you still managed to face that fear. And _that_ makes you a true Gryffindor…"

A true Gryffindor. Sev repeated the headmaster's words in his head several times as he desperately tried to find sleep an hour later in the boy's dormitory. So, barely being able to withstand the torture of a boggart that looked like his father made him courageous? Sev didn't understand the connection at all.

Why hadn't Dumbledore acted sooner anyways? If he was hiding in the shadows most of the time the three of them were in there, then why did he force Sev to suffer through all of that? There was no way he couldn't have noticed Sev's screams for help…but then what could be a logical explanation for his inaction? Did he think he could fool the boy into believing he was a 'true Gryffindor' instead of the Slytherin he knew he was supposed to be, just by praising him for his nonexistent gallantry? Would he even go as far as to hope they would all be friends after that? Seeing a housemate in a position of ultimate submission, scared out of his wits, was certainly one way to make Potter and Black feel sympathetic towards him.

_But I won't let them_, Sev thought defiantly as an angry monster roared up inside of him. As much as he wanted to trust Dumbledore and believe he was truly looking out for his best interests, he felt somewhat betrayed. He knew that he was probably imagining it all; using Dumbledore as a scapegoat to hide his embarrassment from the other two seeing him lose his cool. Still, if it made him feel better, he figured there was no harm in blaming Dumbledore for now…

**xXxXxXxXx**

Two days actually managed to go by uneventfully for the house of Gryffindor. Nobody around them could understand why Black and Potter had let up all of a sudden, but nobody dared to ask, in fear that they would become the two troublemakers' new target.

"You okay?"

Sev looked up from his seat at the private desk towards the back of the common room to see Arthur Weasley approaching him with a worried look on his face. Sev had been trying— unsuccessfully— to finish his latest Defense essay for hours, but was finding it next to impossible, since what Chapluck wanted them to write about had nothing to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, but rather how to coerce a Leprechaun into telling you the location of the end of a rainbow. The first day had been decent, but now she was falling into the trap of teaching only what she wanted to teach, which _clearly_ wasn't Defense.

Sev scratched his head and relaxed his shoulders, trying to wake himself up enough to pay attention to this new visitor. "Oh, uh…I'm fine, yeah…"

Arthur watched him dubiously for a moment before proceeding forward and sitting in an empty wooden chair next to Sev. Normally Sev despised talking to other people when he could avoid it, but right now, he was too exhausted to care.

"Potter and Black…are they bothering you again?"

Sev hated how friendly Weasley sounded. It made him feel uncomfortable, probably because he was simply too used to others tormenting or teasing him, rather than attempting to have a pleasant conversation with him.

"They're fine," Sev muttered, not wanting to say anything, because really, they _had_ been a lot better-behaved lately. He looked over Arthur's shoulder to where the two were rowdily playing wizard's chess by the fire. Remus, as always, was quietly reading a book in a comfy chair behind James.

"Good to hear," said Arthur encouragingly, patting Sev on the back. After a few moments of silence, Sev turned back to face him. He was grinning at him with that ridiculous smile that all Weasleys seemed to possess. Sev knew he was just trying to be supportive of a fellow Gryffindor, but after a while, his presence started to annoy him. Not wanting to lose a possible ally, however, Sev figured he'd tolerate the third year for as long as possible.

"Working on Chapluck's crazy homework, huh?" Arthur glanced at the two-inch long essay that lay incomplete on the desk. Looking back up at Sev, he grimaced. "First years don't have it all _that_ bad…us third years have to write a twenty inch essay on the important of rainbows to goblins. I personally don't think goblins really give a damn about rainbows…it's due tomorrow, but I honestly can't think of anything…"

"Well, goblins like treasure, don't they?" Sev offered. "Maybe rainbows are symbolic of a goblin's greed?" Noticing the mystified expression on the other boy's face, Sev added quickly: "I dunno, it sounded better in my head…"

"Hey! That's actually pretty good!" Arthur said after the idea processed in his mind. He now looked back at Sev with new sense of admiration. "I was thinking of just turning in a blank essay, but Chapluck's so nutty that maybe if I make it sound realistic, she'll give me at least an A, right?"

Sev shrugged, not really caring one way or the other.

"So, uh…do you want any help with that?" Arthur asked hesitantly, gesturing to the nearly-blank parchment in front of Sev. It seemed odd that someone was offering to help Sev for once, rather than leaving him on his own because he was too antisocial or unwilling to talk. He usually avoided face to face speaking at all costs, but Arthur made it easier to talk without feeling embarrassed or inferior.

"I'm fine…" Sev mumbled. "But thanks."

As Arthur departed to find another desk to work on his essay, Sev inwardly wondered if he could ever teach Defense someday…he knew loads of Dark magic already and if the qualifications were so easy that someone like Chapluck could get the post…then he should have no problem getting the job.

Then again, Sev absolutely _hated_ being in the spotlight; he usually allowed Black and Potter to hog all the attention because he loathed it when everyone was staring at him. Perhaps teaching wouldn't be such a good idea after all…

**xXxXxXxXx**

On the third morning after the boggart incident, Sev found it very difficult to wake up. Almost impossible, actually. He hadn't taken any sleeping potions the night before as far as he could remember, but his eyelids felt heavier than lead as he desperately tried to open them. Off to his left, he could hear James snickering, making Sev wonder if he had placed some sort of curse on his eyes while he slept. If that were the case then Potter would pay dearly for this…

Finally, his eyes managed to flutter open, and after blinking a few times, Sev saw that the sun hadn't even risen yet. Glaring over at Potter's outline as the blurriness from his vision disappeared; Sev realized with a jolt that the other boy was standing and pointing a wand directly towards him. It wasn't Potter's wand, but why did it look so familiar…?

He rummaged around his bedside table, looking only to where he always kept his wand. It wasn't there. He checked his pocket in his pajama bottoms. Not there either. He looked up at Potter, who was still twirling the wand with great interest. Oh, surely Potter wouldn't…

"Is that my wand?" he asked warily, just to make sure it was before he stole someone else's wand and hexed the other boy with every curse he knew. "Give it back."

James continued to spin it lazily in his hands and his stupid grin widened. "Aw, Snivvy, you didn't think I would be that sickeningly kind to you forever, did you?"

Sev blinked sleepily and sat up. No, he didn't think that Potter's supreme arrogance had permanently gone on holiday; though he couldn't say that he didn't enjoy his quiet two days of solitude after James and Sirius decided to lay off him for a while. _Why must all good things always come to an end_? Sev thought sourly.

"I said 'give it back,'" he repeated, wanting nothing more but to get his wand back and go back to sleep. James, of course, had no intentions of returning the wand; not without a fight, at least. He'd nearly gone mad from all the kindness he had shown Sev the last two days…now he wanted things to return to normal before he ended up in St. Mungo's from compassion overload…

Remus and Sirius were still sleeping on either side of the room; blissfully unaware of the growing tension between their two housemates. Seeing Sirius's wand laying out in the open on a bedside table nearby, Sev subtly inched his way over to the bed, trying to keep James distracted long enough to allow him to retrieve the wand…

"So, uh…why'd you take my wand? Figured you'd use it to blackmail me into doing your Potions homework? I heard that you almost got a 'T' on your last assignment, Potter…are you really _that_ bad at Potions?" Sev casually mocked him, though in reality, he was hurriedly trying to buy himself more time to get the other boy's wand. Just a _little_ closer…

James scowled and twirled Sev's wand more swiftly. "Not everyone has the brilliance you seemingly possess, Sir _Snivellus_. Maybe Potions is a useless subject anyways, so why bother trying in the first place?"

Sev was just mere inches away from Sirius's wand now. His feet almost tripped over Sirius's trunk as he backed his way to the table and closed in on the wand; carefully sheltering it behind his back as Potter continued ranting about Potions.

"…sorry I don't get my head all absorbed in the fumes like you, but like my dad always said: 'Potions is about as useful as Divination.'"

Tired of Potter insulting one of his favorite subjects, Sev slowly brought the wand to his side; hiding it just so James couldn't see it. The sun was now rising steadily over the mountains, flooding the dormitory with sunlight through the vast windows around them. Sev could now see James much more clearly, thus making him an easier target.

James held out Sev's wand threateningly and smirked. "Whatcha going to do anyways, Snivellus? Want your wand back or…OY!"

Just as James said that awful nickname, Sev whipped Sirius's wand out and slashed it through the air before James could even utter a single spell. He was sent flying backwards and crashed painfully into one of the empty four poster beds on the far end of the room. The noise immediately awoke the other two boys, who yelled for the other two to stop and tried to go for their wands. Sirius, now wandless, cried out in rage at the sight of Sev running past him, brandishing his wand.

On his way over to Potter, Sev saw the boy's own wand lying carelessly on his pillow on the bed. "Accio wand!" he cried; James' wand instantly zoomed into his hand, much to his delight.

His ecstasy lasted for all of two seconds, however. He looked up at a very irate-looking James, who was standing once more with his wand pointed directly at Sev.

Sev paused, thinking how ridiculous they all looked, fighting in their bed clothes. He didn't have time to ponder this strange scene, however, because James was ready to attack, and cleverly used Sev's moment of distraction against him.

"STUPEFY!" James roared, and Sev, too, was blasted off his feet, much like James had, though James's spell had more force behind it than Sev's had. Luckily, it was a soft landing for him as his body bounced on someone's bed before he rebounded onto the solid ground behind it, banging his head on the stone-laden floor with a deafening _crack_ as he landed.

From the place where he cowered behind the bed, Sev could hear Remus shouting for James to stop, and Sirius yelling at nobody in particular for his wand back. Meanwhile, James was silently fuming, waiting for Sev to reappear for his next round of attacks.

Reaching up, Sev felt an enormous bump swell up on his forehead, but there was no time to quit now. James wouldn't give him his wand unless he put up a good fight, so Sev was determined to do his best.

For some reason, he was oddly glad that Potter decided to give up the nice guy act and return to normal. As annoying as he was when he acted like himself, Sev found it a lot more awkward when people acted sympathetic to him, rather than treating him as they did the rest of their housemates. Even if the person in question was Mr. Arrogance.

Leaping over the bed with the two wands aimed at James, Sev immediately yelled "Expelliarmus!" just as James yelled "Protego!"

The force of Sev's double spell almost managed to break through Potter's well-cast shield, but he wasn't Disarmed. By now, Sirius had forcefully stolen Remus's wand, and had it pointed at Sev, though with his attention solely focused on James, he didn't notice this until too late.

"_Stupefy!_"

The force of Sirius's rage-powered Stunning Spell hit Sev directly in the chest, launching him in the opposite direction once more. Serious déjà vu.

Not wanting to lie on the ground any longer than he had to, Sev achingly pushed himself onto his feet and whirled around to face his opponents. James had somehow disappeared from the room, and Sirius was busy wrestling Remus over the wand off to the left.

_Where's James hiding?_ Sev wondered silently as he tiptoed closer to the middle of the room. Just as he passed the open doorway leading to the common room, a jet of red light came— literally— out of nowhere, and he was blasted out of the dormitory. With a fleeting look of desperation, he was flung over the top of the stairway, and remained in freefall for all of a second before hitting the ground of the common room with a thunderous _boom!_

Everything seemed to fade away as hot white spots clouded his vision. His head throbbed more than it ever had in the past, and he felt a trickle of blood oozing down from his upper lip. Over to his right, he saw a terribly smug expression on Potter's face as he swaggered down the stairs with Sev's wand waving carelessly in his right hand.

"How'd you do that?" Sev demanded, but Potter ignored this question and haughtily marched over to where he was lying in a submissive position on the ground. Sev vaguely noticed something silvery hanging out of his pocket, but he didn't get a good enough look at it before Potter hastily shoved it completely out of sight.

Expecting Potter to come over and continue beating him up, Sev was in for a shock when the boy held out his wand. He stared at it for a few seconds, wondering why the boy had just given up like that. Stranger still: Potter offered him a hand and pulled Sev to his feet, firmly placing the wand back into its owner's hand.

"Why…?"

"_That_—" he said, referring to their earlier fight, "—was for Evans's interference the other night…I don't like losing," he added with a lopsided grin.

"So…we're even then?" Sev asked cautiously, not quite believing it unless Potter said so.

"For now," he smirked devilishly as he spun on his heel and headed back up to the boy's dormitory with his and Sirius's wands.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Good afternoon students!"

"Good afternoon, Madam Hooch," the group of students replied, anxiously ready to get a move on with their first flying lesson.

"I know that some of you have a good idea of what Quidditch is—"

"Chudley Cannons, woohoo!"

"_Thank you_ Mr. Pettigrew," Hooch eyed the odd boy with a look of contempt before continuing: "But for those who have no prior knowledge of the sport—"

"Only Mudbloods don't know what Quidditch is," Laika muttered under her breath so that only Narcissa, Lily, Peter and Melika could hear. Narcissa and Peter snorted; however, Melika looked infuriated by this, so she inched her way over to a group of Hufflepuffs. Lily managed a strangled laugh, just as she was trying to remember what Sev had told her about Quidditch the previous summer…

"Stand by your brooms and on the count of 'three' say 'up!' One…two…_three!_"

"Up!" Lily commanded the lifeless object, feeling quite absurd when it lay limply on the ground from her lack of confidence. Across the line from her, Sev was also having difficulty, but Potter got it on his first try. Black also got it after his third try or so.

"Pettigrew! _What are you doing?!_" Hooch shouted from the opposite end of the line as the young Slytherin began mounting his broom, too impatient to wait for everyone else to get ready. "_Get down here this instant or I'll deduct fifty points from Slytherin!_"

Peter looked as though he was trying to come down, but the broom was beyond his control by now, as he rose higher and higher in the air.

"Help!" he cried feebly, realizing that he had taken on much more than what he could personally handle on his own. His once brave appearance was now contorted into an expression of terrible fear; his screams above the crowd of first years were probably heard throughout the grounds of the entire school.

"Peter!" Lily cried out as his broom suddenly took charge and darted towards the school at top speed. She barely knew the boy, but he was in her own house, and he was picked on so often by the others that she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him.

All of the other students hooted and jeered at him as he erratically soared over the top of the castle and out of sight, screaming at the top of the lungs all the way.

"Stay here!" Madam Hooch hollered over the explosive laughter of the students as she grabbed Laika's broom and launched into the air, flying with much more control and grace than Pettigrew could ever hope to have on a broomstick.

The laughter quickly died off once the first years realized they were alone, without even one teacher around. Lily quickly ran over to Sev, who looked as though he was trying to hide something on his head.

"Sev?" she asked, her voice full of concern as she tried to move his hand away from his forehead, but he stubbornly refused to let go. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Sev tried pushing her away gently, but this just angered Lily more, and she rebounded, managing to pry his hand away at once.

"_Sev!_" Lily yelped when she saw the enormous black and purplish bruise on his head. He tried to hastily cover it with his hair, but seeing that it still had some growing out to do since the boggart's attack, it was hardly enough to hide the shiner.

"What happened?" she demanded at once, giving him a no-nonsense look.

"Nothing…really…"

"_Sev_."

"I…well…James and I had a scuffle," Sev murmured quietly, not wanting the others to look at his head and start mocking him too.

"Potter _hit_ you?" Lily cried incredulously.

"No! Well…he…knocked me over the stairs I guess…"

"_SEVERUS_!" Lily couldn't believe why the boy wouldn't just stick up for himself for once. He hadn't yet told her about the boggart incident, nor did he have any intentions on telling her though. It was bad enough that Potter and Black knew…

Behind Sev, James and Sirius were on the ground, laughing uncontrollably. "What a little git!" they cried, nearly in tears over the hilarity of Pettigrew's great escape. "He's trying to steal all of our flying time!"

Sev looked back over his shoulder from his housemates and looked at Lily. Her fierce green eyes were flashing dangerously, and she looked angrier than he had ever seen her.

"Lily?" he waved a hand in front of her face, trying to break her gaze from the two dunderheads behind them, but she ignored him. In fact, after a second of waiting, she shoved Sev aside, pulled out her wand, and stomped over to Potter and Black.

"YOU TWO!" she shrieked at them as she pointed her wand dangerously close to Potter's head, making him freeze at once.

"What is this, Evans?" James asked, clearly annoyed that his fun had to be ruined by the Slytherin girl.

"_This_?! Do you even realize what you've done to your _own_ _housemate_?!" she screamed at them as she gestured towards Sev's head. He blushed furiously and tried ducking out of the way, but by now it was too late: everyone was looking at him.

"Huh, let's see…payback?" James replied thoughtfully after he appeared to have mulled it over for a few moments.

"Payback?" Lily repeated, wanting to throttle James Potter with every ounce of hatred she possessed. "For what?"

Sirius muffled another snort of laughter, but he too, froze and nearly went cross-eyed when Lily's wand went from James's head to his.

"Aw come on Evans…there's no need to threaten us," he taunted her, standing up and drawing himself to full height. Turns out, Lily was taller than him, much to his embarrassment.

"Yeah Evans," James added. "We're just here for a friendly flying lesson. No need to pretend you want to duel…"

Sev could sense that Lily's aggravation with the two boys was increasing to dangerous levels. If he didn't break it up, Lily would undoubtedly break someone's nose instead…

"Lily, he's right," Sev jumped in front of her, blocking her from hexing either of the other two Gryffindors behind Sev. He handed her a broomstick, which she surprisingly took, lowering her wand as she frowned at Sev. Her eyes were still glaring hatefully towards the others, but at least she didn't look ready to kill them anymore. Still, her attention lingered on Sev's massive bruise, something even basic Transfiguration hadn't been able to cover up that morning…

"Then again, you can always settle for dueling if Quidditch doesn't work out, Evans," Sirius joked. "Girls aren't really known to be good at sports after all…"

_Uh-oh_, Sev thought, as Lily spun around and charged at Sirius, much to the boy's complete shock. She didn't even give him time to finish his sentence…

Back in Muggle school, Lily had been the best soccer player in the entire school of over nine hundred students, including the boys. She helped the teams win every game, and while Sev would have normally been picked last, Lily was always the team captain, and always picked him first. Unfortunately for Sirius, Lily was about to show him just how good she was at kicking balls…

The high-pitched scream was earsplitting, and Sirius crumpled to the ground just after contact. Lily stood and watched her own "payback" unfold. She was breathing hard, but looked immensely proud of herself for teaching Black a little lesson about how girls react to blatant sexism. _Never insult a girl's sports skills_, all of the first year boys thought at the same time.

"Amazing," Narcissa whispered enviously as she stared at her cousin. "I've been wanting to do that for _years_…"

Sev, Remus and James were still standing there, utterly appalled by what Lily had done to their housemate. Once he snapped out of it, James kneeled next to Sirius and quietly whispered, "Oy, you kind of deserved that, mate."

Then, he turned back up to face Lily. Now all of the Slytherins were laughing, much to Sirius's humiliation. "Nice kick, Evans," James commented over the hysterical gasps of pain that were still coming from Sirius. Frowning, he added: "But I don't appreciate little Slytherin girls beating up my best mates unless there's a good reason to…just 'cause you can kick doesn't mean you're good at sports. Care to prove me wrong?"

With a great smirk on his face, he handed her a broom. Losing all her composure at once, Lily looked back over her shoulder at Sev for support. He looked back with equal horror, but nodded for her to take the broom James held for her in his hand.

James snickered as she shakily took the old broom and straddled it with the grip of a novice. "Surely your mum taught you Quidditch Evans, yes? Then here, try getting this past me."

He handed her a Quaffle and nodded for her to join him in the air. James was a pretty good flyer, Sev noted with a hint of displeasure. He was more worried for Lily, however, who struggled to remain steady on the broom as it very slowly made its way up to James's level. Everyone gasped as she wobbled hazardously on the side of the broom, almost to the point where she dropped the Quaffle. Luckily, Lily had played goalie in soccer back at Muggle school, and was used to handling the ball with her hands as well as her feet.

Sev didn't realize it, but he, along with everyone else, was holding his breath in anticipation. He desperately wished that Lily could have rejected Potter's offer, but the way he had said it in front of the entire group of first years made it impossible for her to back down without admitting she wasn't good at sports. To witches and wizards, her prodigious soccer skills meant nothing, therefore, she was only good at sports if she could manage to play Quidditch.

She had no idea what Potter intended for her to do, but once she was up to his height—a frightening forty feet up from the ground— she took in a deep breath and threw the Quaffle towards Potter, who was holding his arms out like a basketball hoop, though it was sideways.

Just as the Quaffle was ready to go through the hoop, James moved his arms away, letting the ball miss the hoop entirely. At once, Lily felt consumed with rage towards this idiotic boy.

"That was going in, Potter!" she yelled at him. Grinning devilishly, he dove to retrieve the Quaffle before it hit the ground, but Lily followed after him. She wasn't much of a flyer, but she somehow managed to stay on and dive just as sharply as he had. Everyone screamed as the two swooped dangerously close to their heads before pulling up once more into the open air.

"Oh look, Evans likes to race," James mocked her as he crouched lower on his broom, thus making it race past Lily at top speed. Lily imitated his posture, and sure enough, she was soon gliding along right next to Potter in perfect harmony.

They couldn't tell how high they were off the ground, but Lily was pretty sure she didn't want to know. The cold wind whipped in their faces, and to her left, she heard James laughing. For a moment, the two actually made eye contact. Her fierce green eyes locked onto his, and for the first time since she met the conceited prat, she realized that his eyes were a dazzling hazel color. He smiled playfully as they raced along; the stillness of the scene made it seem as though they were merely sitting at a table, looking at each other, not flying along in a mirrorlike dance at several kilometers per hour.

As they flew, James weaved back and forth in front of her, almost taunting her to go even faster. She was already uncomfortable enough at this speed, however, so she shook her head, but continued smiling at the sheer joy of flying. Nothing seemed to matter in the air; her Mudblood status and half-blood lie were nothing but distant memories, tossed into the breeze. The stress of homework and learning new spells were forgotten along with the rest of the anxious first years that were watching the two from down below. Even the worry of how much trouble she'd be in when Sirius told a teacher about her soccer stunt couldn't bother her up here.

Flying was Lily's ultimate freedom, something she had never experienced before. It was like seeing the world in a different light: the shimmering lake, the vast beauty of the castle, Hogsmeade in the distance…

Out of nowhere, James came onto her right side and gave her a lighthearted shove. She wobbled precariously for a moment before regaining her balance. It was strange: all rivalries seemed to be forgotten when one was flying at top speed on a broom. Although she and Potter had never really hated each other— heck, they hardly _knew_ each other— it still felt incredibly odd to be flying next to him without feeling some sort of hatred for the boy. He was a Gryffindor, and she was a Slytherin: that's how things were supposed to work.

The way he flashed his big, goofy grin at her, she almost felt as though she had known him for much longer than just a couple of days. The sheer excitement of soaring through the afternoon sky stripped them of any prior negative experiences. If only this feeling of impossible joy could last forever…

Feeling rather elated herself; Lily cut left and shoved Potter just as he had done to her. It was supposed to be a light push; however, apparently it had been much stronger than she had intended.

The entire fantasy world seemed to move in slow motion: one second, James was flying blissfully next to her; the next, Lily saw him lose his grip on the broom handle. She didn't have enough time to understand what was happening, though it unfolded soon enough. His body lost control of the broom and it sliced extremely hard to the right on its own accord. Not prepared for this, James desperately tried regaining his balance, but was unsuccessful. Just before he slipped off entirely, the two made eye contact. Horrified beyond words, Lily saw the whites of his eyes behind his handsome glasses, but something else: there was a cry for help within those mysterious hazel pupils. She reached out her hand and screamed for him to hang on— nearly catapulting herself off her own broom in the process— but she was too late; her broom was too far away to turn back and save him.

So he fell. And fell. And fell.

After what seemed liked a lifetime of falling, he hit the ground.

* * *

_To be continued..._

_Accio reviews?_


	6. Arguments

**Important! A/N: **_This is the chapter where the most important events start to unfold. This chapter actually sets the stage for the next three years in Lily and Severus' lives. I **will** be using one of Rowling's major plot points later on, but I can assure you it will be nothing like HP canon. Originality is my goal here. I also must mention in advance that I changed the timeline a bit (it's an AU remember): Voldemort didn't wait until the 1970's to acquire followers, instead he started in the early 1960's. That's all I'll say for now, just to clear up confusion in later chapters. Enjoy~_

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter.

* * *

"Hey, I think he's waking up!"

"He's just twitching in his sleep, Sirius…"

"No! He just blinked, I swear! See? He did it again!"

James heard voices. He wasn't sure if it was normal for one to hear voices, but his mind was so fuzzy that at this point, it didn't matter. He tried to recall what had happened, but nothing came to him. Maybe one of the voices could tell him…?

He opened his eyes completely and tried not to close them against the sudden explosion of sunlight filtering through the windows behind him. It didn't look like any place he'd been before, and he could vaguely make out four blurry figures standing next to his bed.

"Where am I?" he asked dizzily.

One of the people standing near him— most definitely a boy— gasped. "Bloody hell, he's lost his memory!"

"No I haven't," he snapped at the voice, sitting up straighter in bed. His back was extremely sore, and he couldn't quite feel his legs at the moment, but at least he could sit up properly. He immediately saw that the speaker was his best friend, Sirius. Next to him were two other boys whom James didn't recognize, and a short woman with slightly-graying hair that he was certain he'd never seen before.

"How do you feel, Potter?" the woman asked him in an overly concerned tone. As she tried fussing over him, he angrily shoved her away. "I'm fine, thanks…what is this place?"

"The Hospital Wing," one of the two mystery boys replied. James stared quizzically at the other for a moment, trying to bring back any recollections of a prior encounter with him. He seemed so familiar…yet, he knew that he would remember if he had seen the boy before. He would never forget _that_ dreadfully greasy hair!

"Okay…well uh, what happened to me, then? Why am I here?" James demanded from these all-knowing people surrounding him.

"Evans knocked you off your broom," the other unknown boy said, his eyes never leaving James. He had a feeling that he had seen this boy before, too, but couldn't recall anything about him either.

"You fell for a _long_ time," Sirius added with a slight hint of fear in his voice.

"No way! I'm a star Quidditch player, there's no way some guy can just push me off! My father always said my balance is terrific!"

Greasy-hair boy smirked slightly before returning to his solemn expression. "First of all, you're _not _a star Quidditch player. Secondly…you were knocked off by a _girl_."

James was mortified. "You…you're lying…there's no way…_you're lying to me!_"

The boy simply shrugged. "If you say so, but all of the first years witnessed it anyways."

James let out a roar in frustration and began pounding the pillow behind him. The woman instantly reacted and came over to settle him down. As she struggled with the hysterical boy, she frowned over her shoulder at Severus.

"I think it's time you leave."

"But…"

"All of you!" she said, darting a furious glare towards Sirius and Remus as well.

"But what's wrong with him?" Remus asked her as they began reluctantly creeping their way back to the exit.

"The boy appears to have suffered short-term memory loss. If he truly fell from the height you boys told me, then it's to be expected. He should be able to cope on his own in a couple of days."

**xXxXxXxXx**

Two James-free days went by, and Sev found himself almost missing the idiot. For some reason, Lily had ditched classes today; he certainly hoped she wasn't ill. With a twinge of disappointment, Sev realized that he had no idea where the Slytherin common room was, so he couldn't visit her even if he wanted to.

It wasn't like her to miss class, though. She was usually very studious and obsessive about her homework, even when she _was_ ill.

Sev had a feeling that she was more upset about almost killing James the other day. When she had landed from that disastrous flight, she hadn't even been able to face her fellow first years. Instead, as the group of students gathered around James, Sev had watched Lily turn and run away, no doubt with tears in her eyes.

As Sev absentmindedly made his way down the winding path that led to the gameskeeper's cabin— the location of his first-ever Care of Magical Creatures lesson— he looked out towards the lake. It shimmered vibrantly under the afternoon sun, and off to the right, he saw the giant castle's reflection in the waters near the shore. His eyes traveled up the bank, and up to a tree, where he saw a girl with bright red hair sitting underneath it. Sev was too far away to see the girl's face, but he knew at once who it was.

Ignoring the possibility of detention for ditching class, Sev silently jogged over to the girl. When he was just fifteen feet away, Sev slowed to a walk. He didn't want to scare Lily, but he didn't want a direct confrontation either. Instead, he came up around the backside of the tree and sat down a couple feet behind her. She didn't look up, but continued gazing sullenly out at the seemingly endless lake.

"Hey," she finally said after several moments of silence. She still didn't look back at him, but Sev took this as an invitation to sit closer. He moved up and settled right next to her.

Lily's sad green eyes were hazy and blank, but there were no tears, at least. Good. Potter wasn't worth crying over, in Sev's opinion.

"How is he?" she whispered, keeping her eyes focused on the crystal-blue waters. She hadn't stayed around long enough to see if James had even survived that fall; she had been too horrified at what she had done to bear seeing the result.

"Well, uh…he doesn't remember much," Sev tried joking with her, but she didn't smile. "Short term memory loss, but other than that, he's fine."

He cocked his head and gazed at her more thoroughly. "Are _you_ okay?"

Tears flitted to the edges of her eyes, but she refused to let them slip. Sev knew she didn't want to talk about it, but she couldn't just hold it all in and keep skipping classes, either…

He carefully placed his hands around her shoulders and pulled her around to face him. She looked a little surprised by this, but then she sighed miserably, knowing that she was going to have to talk now.

"Oh Sev," she whispered. "What if he had lost more than just his memory? What if—"

Sev shushed her. "You can't possibly blame yourself for that, Lily. I saw the whole thing… he shoved you too! If your balance is better than his, then that's not your fault…"

"But still!" she wailed, letting the tears finally fall from her impossibly gorgeous green eyes. "What if I had killed him Sev? Muggles _die_ if they fall as far as he did! I might've killed someone in my first week here! I could've been expelled!"

"Lily, we're not Muggles—"

"Does it make a difference?" she hissed irately, looking back out at the unusually tranquil lake. She closed her eyes and returned her voice to a whisper: "I shouldn't be in Slytherin, Sev…it's…it's _changing_ me…"

Sev was puzzled by this statement, but tried to hide his confusion. "Lily, it's only been one week. I'm sure things will get better over time; you're just having a hard time adjusting. You aren't a bad person," he added firmly. "Bad stuff is just happening to you this week, but I'm sure things will—"

Lily shook her head and looked back at her friend. "Sev. Bad things aren't happening to me. _I'm_ causing bad things to happen to others around me."

"Lily—"

"No! Quit trying to make me appear guiltless, because I'm not…"

She paused. Her face scrunched up as though she had just tasted something very bitter. Finally, when she had garnered the courage to continue, she added quietly: "You saw me…in Defense…with Melika…I…"

She trailed off and turned her back on Sev, no doubt crying by now.

"Is that what you're upset about?" Sev asked quietly. "You're afraid they'll find out?"

Lily turned back around and nodded slowly. Her eyes glistened with tears, and Sev felt himself wanting nothing more than to see her happy again. But what could he say? Praising her for finally knocking some sense into Potter's oversized head would hardly make her feel better and he didn't want to tell her there was a possibility of getting out of Slytherin either; he had already tried switching houses and the headmaster would have none of it.

"Well," Sev paused to take a deep breath, and then continued, hoping he would say the right thing: "I can't exactly say that lying about that was a good thing…but I suppose you didn't have a choice, really…"

Lily nodded numbly. "You should have seen how they treated Melika…it was…_awful_ Sev…I've never seen crueler people…and most of them are just _kids_ Sev…barely older than us…"

"Some people are just born evil I guess."

"No…no that's not true. There's some good people in Slytherin—"

"Like you?"

"—well yeah, I hope you'd consider me one of the 'good' ones, but Narcissa and Laika are great. Even Peter's kind of nice; he's just a little insecure with himself. It's mostly the older ones that are rotten…" Lily shivered violently, even though the day was still warm. "What if I turn into them when I grow up?"

Sev wondered why Lily spoke so highly of Black and Malfoy. The girls had a very menacing aura about them, and they always seemed to tower over everyone when they entered a room. He knew they came from long lines of ancient pureblood families, and he even held suspicions that Malfoy's parents were strong supporters of Voldemort, yet that remained unconfirmed as of yet.

"Maybe you should get some new friends? Some non-Slytherin friends? I mean, you probably won't end up bad, but then again…"

That was_ definitely _the wrong thing to say. Lily's eyes flashed angrily towards him and her cheeks turned slightly pink.

"My friends are _fine_, thanks. I don't tell _you_ to stay away from Potter and Black— do you think they're good friends? Potter knocked you over the bloody _stairs_, Sev, do you really think that's a real friend?"

"He was just playing—" Sev protested, but Lily would hear none of it.

"Did you happen to hear what those two did to Peter and Barty on Friday?"

"Yes," Sev replied uncomfortably. The prank had been rather ingenious, and although Sev hadn't personally participated, he didn't really like Pettigrew or Crouch so he figured they deserved it. "It was just a laugh…nothing bad, unlike _your _friends and their 'Mudblood' comments…"

Lily looked even more infuriated by this. Sev desperately wanted to stop arguing, but he wasn't going to let Lily just stand there and criticize his housemates.

"So, what you're telling me that Laika's stupid 'Mudblood' comment is worse than Potter and Black hurting Peter? He was in the Hospital Wing overnight after that!"

Sev was stunned. Did Lily not realize just how insulting that comment was to someone of her blood status? The way she brushed it off made it certainly seem that she didn't.

"Lily," Sev began quietly, trying to keep his voice steady in hopes that Lily would follow the suit. "You _do_ realize what Malfoy means when she says 'Mudblood,' right?"

Her fierce green eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she stood up. "Of course, Severus. But unlike _your_ friends, I don't seek revenge for every little thing people do or _say_ that bothers me."

Without saying another word, she turned and stomped away, leaving Sev all by himself under the tree.

**xXxXxXxXx**

It was nearly ten o'clock by the time Sev got back to the common room. He had spent most of the evening alone in the library; books were always a good source of comfort when he was feeling down. Surprisingly, the room was nearly deserted, save for a few procrastinators who were sitting at the desks, hurriedly scribbling down the final sentences of their essays before trudging up to bed.

"Hey Severus!"

The voice was very familiar, though by the name the boy had called had him, he could have sworn he was dreaming. It was James. Back from the Hospital Wing, apparently.

He was sitting next to a very frustrated-looking Sirius, with his potions book open. Noticing Sev's sudden appearance, Sirius immediately brightened.

"Thank God you're here," he said exasperatedly as he threw his essay and books into his bag and walked over to Sev. "He's all yours now."

"What—"

Sirius, who was already halfway up the stairs to their dormitory, paused and looked back. "Pomfrey told me he needed someone to help him with his homework for a while until he regained his memory…_I don't like homework, mate_."

By the aggravated tone of Sirius's voice, Sev could tell that he had given up on helping James hours ago. He watched him disappear behind their door, then sighed to himself and turned back to James. He was grinning stupidly at him and gesturing for Sev to come and take a seat next to him.

_Joy_, he thought sarcastically as he came over and reluctantly sat next to Potter. _Looks like I'm Mr. Arrogant's new tutor._

"Roonil told me you're good at Potions," James stated blankly.

"_Remus_," Sev corrected him edgily, already understanding why Sirius had been so anxious to leave.

"Oh," James frowned and wrinkled his brow before looking up at Sev once more. "Thanks Severus…so you'll help me…right?"

"Why are you calling me that?" Sev demanded.

"Oh…is your name not Severus? What did I call you before, then?"

"Sniv—"

_Wait! What the hell am I thinking?!_ Sev mentally kicked himself.

"Just 'Sev' is fine."

James smiled once more; his new personality was already scaring Sev. He was much too polite and disgustingly happy…as weird as it sounded, he missed the old James.

Sev sighed for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Today he'd already ditched a class, had a huge argument with his best friend, and now he was forced to stay up late to help his memory-incapacitated friend with his homework. Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Sev looked down into the book and briefly scanned over Slughorn's assignment.

"Okay Potter, let's start off with something easy. Where could I find a bez—?"

"I don't know," James cheerfully cut across him, putting his feet up on the desk. He hit the opened ink bottle with his foot and ink dribbled down the desk and onto Sev's robes.

It was going to be a long night.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"No! You can't leave now…"

Lily's eyes fluttered open at the sound of two muffled voices coming from the common room. It was nearly one o'clock in the morning, what were people still doing awake?

As her vision adjusted to the darkness, she saw Narcissa sleeping soundly on her bed directly across from her. On the opposite end of the room, Melika was also fast asleep. Her eyes now traveled to Laika's bed: it was empty.

Lily quietly got up and threw a robe over her pajamas and tiptoed over to the door. The voices were quieter now; it was much harder to hear them, though she could make out small snippets of the conversation…

"…I know what he told father, but you must wait! Now is too soon…"

A deeper voice interrupted the girl, whom Lily presumed to be Laika.

"I'm not taking advice from a first year, Laika; I know what I'm doing!"

It was Lucius. Lily had no idea what was going on, but she could tell by the sound of Laika's voice that she was distraught.

Suddenly, the conversation ceased, and she heard footsteps coming up to her dormitory. Wasting no time at all, Lily flung herself away from the door and onto her bed, pretending she was asleep. Laika came in quietly, though Lily could hear her sniffing as she made her way over to her bed.

Lily carefully rolled over and looked over at her friend: she was crying into a pillow. Whatever she had just talked about with Lucius had obviously upset her; Lily wished she knew what in the world they were talking about at this hour; perhaps she could have helped Laika rather than her always running to her older brother for help.

Shrugging to herself, Lily slipped out of her robe and took her shoes off, ready for a good night's rest. Memories of happy times with Sev danced through her mind, making her feel worse than she already felt. She had been awful to him today…would he forgive her for getting angry? She sure hoped so…

* * *

**A/N: **_Next chapter: Christmas time-skip & the plot thickens *gasps*_

_Thank you to all of my loyal reviewers (especially Meeh-san, Cinnamon Selkie, and Escoger, who have reviewed every chapter so far). _

_Please review. As much as I love this story, I find it difficult to want to write for this one (averaging less than 7 reviews per chapter) when my other story, "An Unlikely Rescuer" averages more than 14 reviews per chapter. Next week, I'm adding a new story (see profile for details), so this one will be competing for my attention along with 2 others. I'll try not to ask for reviews anymore, but just keep it in mind that the popular stories will be updated quicker. And I really want to know what you have to say! I'm definitely open to ideas and constructive criticism. _

_Thanks! :)_


	7. To Save a Friendship

**A/N: **_Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to my reviewers! I swear I tried to get this chapter up earlier, but real life kind of got in the way :P_

_I hope you like this chapter, I know I said there would be a Christmas time-skip in this chapter, but I wanted to add more to the plot in between now and Christmastime, so...enjoy!_

**~Usual disclaimer applies~**

* * *

"Forty minutes left!" Slughorn's voice echoed around the sullen walls of the dungeon, reminding the first years to hurry and finish the day's assignment.

Sev inwardly groaned from his seat at the very back of the class. He was pretty sure Lily was irritated as well, but her face remained blank as she carefully measured a vial of eucalyptus extract and poured it into their cauldron. Seconds later, a layer of orange smoke rose from the potion; Sev knew it was supposed to be hunter green at this point, but he wasn't about to correct her mistake.

Ever since their fight three days ago, Lily had been avoiding him like the plague. He ruefully assumed it was because she was angry with him— not that he blamed her— but he had missed having someone _normal_ to talk to. Instead, without Lily around, Sirius and Remus figured that Sev could use the company, so they left James with him.

The boy hadn't made much progress memory-wise, and his previous arrogance had been replaced with annoying politeness. Sev figured there must be another way to help the boy, rather than spending all of his extra free time pointlessly tutoring him, but he hadn't found a solution as of yet.

Today in Double Potions with the Slytherins, Lily had been unsuccessful in her attempt to avoid Sev once more; thinking the two were still the best of friends, Slughorn had paired them together.

"You're cutting it wrong…chopping it would be faster," he absentmindedly informed Lily as she began slicing the Waterrock roots as instructed in the next step the book. She paused and darted a quick glance at Sev; not wishing to make eye contact, he turned his attention away. Up at the front, Sirius was chatting amiably with Melika, the partner whom he had been assigned to today. Remus hadn't been so lucky: he had gotten James as a partner, though the poor flustered-looking boy was doing all of the work, since James was more interested in sticking kaulard beans up his nose at the moment.

Lily moaned silently. Sev was probably still mad at her for losing control of her temper the other day. Now he wouldn't even look at her, even though all she wanted to do was to apologize and beg for his forgiveness. He was just trying to give her some advice, she didn't need to go off on him like that…only now did she realize her mistake…too late to correct it now that he was this angry with her…

Sighing to herself, she dully reached across the cauldron for the jar of hill worms. Just as she grasped her hand around the jar, she felt Sev's hand brush by hers. He had apparently read the instructions already and was trying to make some progress on their brewing, which looked pretty dismal at the moment.

They looked up at each other, and Lily unwillingly blushed, feeling rather ill at ease around the boy who was supposedly her best friend. She quickly removed her hand and mumbled an apology before determinedly focusing her attention on one of the cobwebs on the uppermost shelves around the dungeon.

Ignoring his own embarrassment, Sev hastily dumped the final ingredient into the pot and tentatively raised his hand for Slughorn to come over and inspect their potion. He knew it was awful, but neither partner seemed able to concentrate today, so what was the use in forcing the issue?

The portly potions master hovered over their simmering cauldron for a few moments before frowning at the two.

"Not up to your usual brilliance."

Sev couldn't help but glance at Lily, who was exceedingly pink in the face by now. She knew it was her fault the potion was a disaster, but she didn't want to have to admit that herself. She already felt terribly ashamed of herself for possibly ruining her closest friendship.

Slughorn seemed to be waiting for an explanation, but neither of them had anything to offer.

"Sorry sir," Sev muttered at last.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"You know? Melika's not all that bad," Sirius said casually as the four boys made their way back to their common room after Potions. Noticing the odd looks on Remus and Sev's faces, he quickly amended his words: "For a Slytherin anyways…I mean, she hates the house she's in— not that I blame her, who could possibly want to be in Slytherin?— and we share the same loathing for all the other Slytherin girls! _Especially_ Evans," he added fiercely.

"Shut up about Lily," Sev shot back, feeling it would be appropriate to defend her even if she currently hated his guts.

Sirius was about to fight back, but once again, the ever-so-clueless James decided he'd get in on the conversation too: "Who's Lily, Sev? Your ickle girlfriend?"

_Wow, now that sounds like the James I know and…hate._

"No, she's the one who knocked you off that broom, remember?" Sev sneered, feeling more and more irritated with Potter the longer he was around the insufferable boy.

"_What?!_"

Sev smirked. "That's right. Oh, and by the way, two days before you lost your memory, Professor McGonagall caught you mooning the Hufflepuffs during Transfiguration…the first of your twenty detentions start tonight…in the Forbidden Forest."

Sirius snickered, loving the mortified expression on James' face. The terrified boy had stopped walking altogether, and stared on at the trio as they walked up to the Fat Lady's portrait. Sev never laughed, but found it impossible to hide his amusement.

So much for being a courageous Gryffindor. This new Potter was a coward.

"You're lying," he whispered, though it was loud enough for the others to hear him from where he was now on his knees ten paces behind them. "There's no way…I'll _die_ out there…surely first years don't get assigned detentions out there…what if…_what if I get attacked by thestrals out there?!"_

"You can't see thestrals, mate. But the good news is that you won't have to watch them as they kill you," Sirius snorted.

Remus glared at Sev and Sirius, and went back to pull James to his feet. He was shaking in terror at the prospect of spending his evening in the Forbidden Forest, but relaxed slightly when Remus put his hand on his shoulder comfortingly.

"It's just a joke James, you're fine."

"Are you sure?" James asked in an uncharacteristically tiny voice. Everything about this new Potter was really starting to get on Sev's nerves…

"Yes," Remus rolled his eyes in exasperation and led the naive boy over to where Sev and Sirius stood with arms crossed, unhappy with Remus ruining what could have been an interesting night, had James attempted going into the Forbidden Forest after all…

Once through the portrait hole, Sev begrudgingly made his way over to a desk to begin his Potions essay. It wasn't due until Wednesday, but Severus Snape was no procrastinator, unlike Sirius and James, who never did their work until the hour before it was due.

Wishing there was some way things could just go back to normal, Sev unwillingly pulled out his potions book and a few quills. Remus told him that tutoring James later was his responsibility, so he wanted to accomplish as much as he could now before that nuisance interrupted all of his precious study time for the third night in a row.

As he flipped open the book, something fluttered out. He was normally too organized to resort to shoving his papers into his book; what could it be?

Curious, he picked up the note that had fallen onto the ground next to his chair and carefully unfolded it. It was a short, handwritten letter:

_Sev,_

_Meet in the library at 9._

_Lily_

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Oh, I _give up!_"

Lily darted her head up at the sound of her friend's frustrated scream. There were only a few students in the Slytherin common room right now; most of them were still enjoying themselves at dinner.

Lily had just finished her essay— it wasn't due until Wednesday but Lily Evans was no procrastinator— and had just begun to work on another one of Chapluck's ridiculous assignments when she heard Laika pound the desk across the room from her. None of the others had bothered asking what was wrong, so Lily took it upon herself to make sure her friend was okay. She'd definitely been more withdrawn and tense lately; ever since that late-night conversation with Lucius that Lily accidentally overheard. Lily hoped things would improve between the two siblings soon, because seeing Laika like this was unnerving. She had hardly spoken a single word to Lily or Narcissa, and judging by the black rings under her eyes, she wasn't sleeping too well either. She was a first year, so it wasn't like she was loaded up on extra classes or anything, so why was she so stressed?

"Laika? Are you okay?"

The girl jolted up from burying her face in her hands and wildly looked around the room before she realized that Lily was standing right next to her.

"Oh…it's you," she said dully. "I'm uh, fine. Just…tired."

Lily eyed the other girl doubtfully for a moment, then leaned against a nearby bookcase and looked over her friend's essay. It was the one Slughorn had assigned them earlier that day, and while Lily had twenty inches written, Laika had just three. Ink was splattered all over the parchment, and Laika was now cursing fluently under her breath at the ink that had spilled onto her robes and hair.

"Want some help with that?" Lily finally asked. Her Muggle wristwatch told her it was only seven o'clock; hopefully Sev had gotten her note by now and would be meeting her in the library in two hours. Plenty of time to help a friend in need.

Laika's eyes filled with hope at the sound of Lily's offer. "Would you? Would you _really_ do that for me?"

Lily nodded.

"Oh Lily, thank you so much! I haven't gotten _any_ sleep lately…I can barely concentrate on anything…"

"Oh no problem—" Lily trailed off as Laika thrust the essay, quills and potions book into Lily's arms. She had offered to _help_. But did Laika really think she'd do the entire assignment for her?

As much as she wanted to shove everything back into the other girl's hands and tell her to do it herself, Lily felt a twinge of sympathy nagging at her heart…after all, Laika _had_ gotten her out of that tight spot back when the girls and the Gryffindor boys had gotten caught by her older brother at the duel…without his sister there, Lucius probably wouldn't have been too lenient…perhaps it was time Lily helped her as well…

Taking advantage of Lily's indecision, Laika rounded behind her and gently placed her hands on the redhead's shoulders.

"Oh thank you, Lily," she whispered breathlessly. "This means more to me than you know…I'll remember to pay you back for this later on, I promise."

With an encouraging pat on Lily's back, Laika spun on her heel and darted out of the common room; doing her best to hide the smirk of pleasure on her face until she was out of Lily's sight.

**xXxXxXxXx**

At 8:55pm, Lily nervously made her way into the library. It was quite late for students to be out, but since curfew wasn't until ten, she figured that going there closer to curfew time would ensure more privacy.

She certainly hoped Sev had gotten her note. But…there was no way he could have missed it…he had most likely written his essay already, and to have done that, he would have needed the book.

_Then again…Sev's so good at potions he can probably write a ten foot long essay without the book…_

Just as she began fearing the worst, Lily was relieved to hear Sev's voice wafting over the rows of bookcases. She had originally suspected him to be alone, but she was wrong: just as she came around the corner and into view, she saw him sitting next to none other than James Potter.

She squealed at the sight of the messy-haired boy; _what was he doing here?!_

She had wanted to meet with Sev to apologize for being so temperamental the other day; she _had not_ intended to come here to say sorry to Potter for almost killing him, too.

Luckily, Sev had noticed her presence before she had launched herself behind a nearby bookcase. Gladly excusing himself from the bothersome boy, Sev ran over to where Lily was hiding.

"Lily? Hey I—"

She clasped her hands over his mouth in order to get him to shut up. Ignoring the puzzled look on his face, she shook her head to discourage any questions he might have.

"What's Potter doing here?" she hissed in a low voice, jerking her head to where Potter sat, entertaining himself with the _Wingardium Leviosa_ charm Sev had re-taught him that morning.

"I had to bring him," he said glumly, shooting an apologetic look at her. "Remus and Sirius can't stand to be around him more than five minutes, so they volunteered me to babysit him tonight. Why did you want to meet me here, anyways? I…I thought you were mad at me,' he stammered sheepishly.

Lily blushed. "Me? Mad at _you_? I came here to say sorry for being such a prat the other day. Why would I be angry with you? I thought you were mad at _me._"

Sev felt heat rising to his cheeks as well. "I'm not…I just…I'm…I'm _sorry_."

They were silent for several seconds. Lily seemed to be at a loss for words, and her lack of response made Sev fidget fretfully. Finally, she looked back up at him; a faint pink glow radiated on her face, though Sev wondered if that was just the moonlight reflecting on her gentle skin from the nearby window.

"I'm sorry too, Sev. You were just trying to help—"

"—I _was_ being a little tactless though—"

"—and I overreacted I guess."

More silence ensued as the two waited for the other to say something. Lily continued gazing straight at him, waiting expectantly for him to answer, but Sev didn't know what to say. Lily had always been a little on the emotional side, and he didn't want to upset her by accidentally saying something insensitive again.

"I really am sorry, you know," she prodded him, making sure that he had heard her.

"I know you are…"

Realizing that Sev wasn't going to say anything else, Lily hesitantly spoke up again, but turned her attention away from him as she said it. She wasn't sure why she said it— her mind surely wasn't thinking properly— but she spat it out anyways.

"I know Slytherins and Gryffindors aren't really supposed to be friends so…"

"Are you saying you don't want to be friends anymore?" Sev interrupted her, feeling slightly alarmed by this.

"No! No! I meant that I'd, well…understand if you didn't want to be friends with me—"

"—Lily I wouldn't—"

"Oh come on, I know your friends all hate me."

"No they don't," Sev said firmly, though he knew, deep down, that what she said was true. He didn't want to admit that, though. "And I'll be your friend if you'll be mine."

Lily looked back up at him and smiled softly; her green eyes dazzling wondrously in the moonlight.

"Thanks."

"So uh…do you want to stay? I have to help James with his Potions essay," Sev gestured around the bookcase, where James sat, looking grumpier by the second.

"Oh sure, I've already written two, what's one more?" Lily replied sourly.

"Two?"

"Ugh, long story, let's get started on Potter's essay first and I'll tell you as we work."

Sev stared at her quizzically for a second, but shrugged it off. Something in the way she had snapped at him made it sound like it wasn't him whom she was annoyed with. He started to turn and go back to the table, but Lily tentatively called him back.

"Severus?"

Surprised at her calling him by his full name, rather than the usual 'Sev,' he turned around once more, wondering what she was going to say now.

She didn't say anything. She stared at him for a moment before flinging herself at him and hugging him as though she wouldn't let either of them consider breaking their friendship ever again.

He was quite startled by her sudden change in behavior, but it was a nice hug nonetheless. It felt quite awkward having his best friend nearly crushing all of the air out of him in a public place like this, but if she didn't care what others thought, then he figured he shouldn't either. At last, she reluctantly let go, smiling radiantly and looking happier than she had been in a long, _long_ time.

* * *

**A/N: **_I hope that didn't seem to rushed...I've been trying to refine my writing style (I usually go overboard with the details). Anyways, to clarify, there's nothing romantic going on between any of the kids yet, since they're only 11. _

_Next chapter: James 'sees the light,' Laika's invitation, and the dangers of eavesdropping..._

_Please review! :)_


	8. Hello James, Goodbye Lily

**A/N:** _Sorry about the long update, things are kind of erratic right now and I can't exactly be sure when I'll update next (most likely within the next week). Enjoy~_

_I don't own Harry Potter..._

* * *

"Now remember, he probably won't remember who you are, so don't remind him of _anything_," Sev whispered to Lily as the returned to the table where a very-grumpy looking James awaited them.

Lily nodded nervously in return and edged her way onto the seat next to James. He stared at her for a moment, trying to bring back any previous recollections of the girl, but he came up with nothing.

"Who's this, Sev?" he asked innocently as he gestured to Lily.

"Ah—"

Sev and Lily darted panicked glances at each other, each of them silently willing the other not to speak.

"She's my friend," Sev spluttered. "Hey, look at the time James, it's really getting late; we should get working on your essay…"

"What's your name?" James prodded further, this time looking at Lily squarely in the eye.

Lily froze. The last time she had looked into those hazel eyes, she and James had been soaring high above the ground…not a care in the world until reality showed its ugly face and James completely lost his grip, nearly dying from a fall that she had directly caused. For a moment, Lily almost thought she saw a flicker of a memory from that day behind James' eyes. It was a strikingly vivid picture of James falling to what could have been his death…did James sense this too? Was she really seeing anything at all?

_No,_ she told herself firmly. _You're just imagining it. _

"No name," mumbled Lily, now averting her gaze to Sev's glittering black eyes. He tried offering her reassurance, but he knew that James Potter was far too nosy to accept a ridiculous answer like that.

"James, your essay—"

"How can you not have a name?" James asked incredulously. "Don't lie to me!"

Lily sighed in defeat at the sound of betrayal in the boy's voice. He was confused, and arrogant though he was; Potter deserved an apology, not more lies. It was her fault he lost his memory, after all, and she would have to pay the price. Sev noticed Lily losing her will to uphold their little lie, and shook his head frantically. Lily dejectedly nodded: it was only fair to Potter for him to know the truth.

Clearly disliking the silent correspondence between the other two, James stood up, looking angry. "What's going on?"

"My name is Lily Evans," she squeaked, fearing that she would never have the confidence to tell him the truth if she delayed any longer. She knew there would be hell to pay once the boy recognized the name, and indeed he was none too happy about this revelation…

"Evans…" he muttered incoherently as his mind tried to process this new information.

For a few moments, Lily and Sev thought that he wouldn't remember her after all. Clearly that wasn't the case.

"EVANS!" James bellowed, his eyes darting to where Lily had instantly retreated after his heated outburst. "You…you…I _remember you!_"

He kicked over several chairs and got away from the two as though they had just threatened to practice the Cruciatus Curse on him.

"Who taught him those er— _colourful_ words?" Lily mused gloomily as James continued sputtering incomprehensible insults and swears at them until he was dragged forcefully out of the library by the new librarian, Madam Pince.

Lily was somewhat surprised that Sev had done absolutely nothing to stop the other boy from leaving; though judging by the look on his face; he was relieved to see Potter gone.

"I told you not to tell him anything," Sev mumbled sourly, still looking towards the door in which James had just been kicked through and shut out.

"Oh come on Sev, like I really could have continued lying to him? You know I'm a bad liar."

"The Slytherins don't seem to believe that," Sev replied quietly. Noticing the freshly enraged expression on Lily's face, he hastily changed tactics. "I might have found a cure for him, though. Look…"

He jumped up from the table and returned a few seconds later with an old book titled Elite Potion Making.

"Sev, that's a seventh year book!" Lily gasped.

"I know, but look at page 130."

Lily looked down at what her friend was pointing at: it was a potion used to aid those with memory loss.

"I don't know…are you able to make something this complicated?" Lily asked uncertainly.

Sev nodded. "I have to try, at least. I dunno about you, but I've just about had it with James lately."

Lily smiled encouragingly. "Well, you're the best potioneer I've ever known—"

"I'm the only—"

"Oh, that's beside the point, Sev! If anyone can make this, you can."

"Thanks…I just wish it wouldn't take 'til the holidays to finish brewing..."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Cheers," Sev said cheerlessly as he tugged James' messy black hair back and dumped the reddish-orange potion down his throat. The boy writhed around in imaginary agony, but there was no escape: with the help of Sirius and Remus, Sev had taken his wand away and magically bound him to the chair to ensure maximum security. He knew James would fuss over being force-fed something he'd never seen before, even after Sev repeatedly explained that it was only for his own good.

The potion tasted liked fire in James' mouth; he howled in pain as it slid down his throat, burning his insides from his mouth to his core. Sev winced, knowing that he probably wasn't exaggerating for once, but there was nothing he could do if he wanted James to get his bloody memory back so everyone could return to their normal lives.

"Are you sure it's working?" Remus shouted over James' wails of terror from the hellish pain his supposed 'friend' was forcing him through. Sev nodded tersely, and returned his concentration to the shaking boy in front of him. Sirius had moved in to help, but jumped away at once: James' skin had left a burnt mark where he had touched him.

At long last, the goblet was drained, and James' shrieks were reduced to whimpers. Luckily, nobody else had come up to their dormitory to see what all the fuss was about. Sev continued holding James by his hair, waiting for him to calm down enough to regain his senses and tell them whether or not the torturous process had worked. Sirius and Remus darted nervous glances at each other; if this didn't work, they would have to return to tutoring James more often until the boy regained his memory by natural means.

"_Diffindo,_" Sev muttered, still keeping his steady grasp on James even while the ropes that bound him fell uselessly to the floor.

Sensing his newfound freedom, James opened his eyes. Blurred images of people swam before him in his line of view; it took him several seconds until he realized where he was. It felt like he had been thrown into a volcano, but his skin looked perfectly normal. Someone was holding his hair behind him; was it a teacher?

Faint images of his first few weeks at Hogwarts slowly returned, but instead of comforting him, they only gave him a massive headache. The train…the duel…the man in the wardrobe… Dumbledore…Evans and the flying practice…

James groaned and let his head slump forward. Everything hurt, though nothing more so than his head. His brain felt ready to explode. Why were Sirius and Remus just standing there and staring at him?

"Did it work?" Sirius whispered. His friend's face was looking straight at him; was he asking him that?

"It should have," a different, though all-too-familiar voice replied from behind him.

With a great effort, James forced himself to look up. His vision blurred from the exertion, but he instantly recognized the boy.

"AGH! GET AWAY FROM ME SNIVELLUS!"

Sev sighed, hardly surprised from the boy's reaction. "Welcome back Potter."

**xXxXxXxXx**

Lily normally didn't walk by herself. Especially after dark. However, since Sev was busy tonight, she had spent her evening alone in the library, trying to figure out Chapluck's latest assignment: an essay on protecting oneself from thieves who want to steal one's treasure. After many failed ideas, Lily resorted to writing about traditional Muggle defensive tactics: shooting the thief with a gun or stabbing them with a knife. She found the project very repulsive, but she somehow thought that the more violent she sounded, the better grade she'd get.

The common room was almost deserted when she entered; only a few seventh years were sitting at the desks, working on their N.E.W.T.-level coursework. Lily hadn't expected Laika and Narcissa to wait up for her, but she still felt a twinge of disappointment nonetheless.

However, as she slowly made her way up the winding staircase that led to her dormitory, she heard a soft voice call out to her: "Why Lily, just the person I wanted to see!"

Lily scrambled back down at the sound of Laika's voice wafting from the emerald green chairs towards the back of the common room. She hadn't even noticed her two friends sitting over there, but she was pleased to have found someone to talk to.

"Hi Laika," Lily greeted her friend, who gestured for her to come and take a seat next to her. Narcissa waved her silent hello.

"So, Lily—" Laika wasted no time in getting to the point, "— Christmas is next week, isn't it?"

Lily nodded, unsure of where Laika was going with this. Was she going to ask her if she wanted to decorate a tree for their dormitory? After all, it was tradition for the Evans family to go out and buy a nice fir tree the week before Christmas; it seemed only natural that she would continue the custom here at Hogwarts. Lily felt herself smiling at the memories of her and Petunia each decorating their own trees. Lily's tree was always loaded with coloured lights, tinsel, and homemade ornaments; Petunia was always more on the conservative side with just a string of plain white lights on hers.

"What are you doing for Christmas?"

"Oh! Uh…well…"

Lily hadn't really made plans yet. She had originally thought of returning home for the holidays, but Hogwarts was still new and fascinating to her; she wanted to spend as much time here as possible. Her parents would understand, but she was pretty sure Petunia would throw a fit once she found out.

"Not much," Lily replied after a moment of thinking about it. "I figured Severus would stay at Hogwarts for the holidays, so I might—"

"You can't possibly be thinking of staying _here!_" Narcissa cried, looking appalled at the very thought.

"But—"

"Narcissa's right, Lily," Laika calmly interrupted her. "This place is _dreadfully_ _boring_ during the holidays…just ask Lucius. He stayed here during his first year and he was _miserable_."

"But I have Sev," Lily said defensively. "We can have snowball fights and explore the castle and get ahead on homework…" she trailed off and blushed as her two friends howled with laughter.

"_Homework_?" Laika mocked her, "Are you serious? If school's not in session, why don't you enjoy yourself, at least?"

"Well—" Lily bit her lip. She _really_ wanted to spend her first Christmas as a true witch at Hogwarts, but then again…

"Why don't you come to my home for the holidays?" Laika offered. "Narcissa already agreed and we hardly ever see you aside from when you're with that Gryffindor boy. This would be our chance to get to know each other a little better."

Lily blinked. Laika's offer _did_ sound like fun. Perhaps two weeks away from Hogwarts and Sev wouldn't kill her…she hadn't made any plans over Christmas vacation with him anyways, so she didn't need to worry about breaking any promises to him…Laika was right, after all: if they were going to be in the same house and dormitory for the next seven years, they really ought get to know each other better. Sev would always be there for her, but if she started pushing away her Slytherin friends…she wouldn't have any left!

"Okay," she replied, however hesitantly. "Sounds great. Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

"Them?" Laika scoffed. "They're hardly ever home. And there are so many rooms that they probably won't notice two more visitors anyways…"

**xXxXxXxXx**

"I'm _so_ glad this is the last day of classes," Lily whispered to Sev during Transfiguration.

"Me too."

It was exactly six days before Christmas, and the first years were bursting with anticipation for the winter holidays. It had snowed especially hard the night before, and it took every last bit of their patience not to ditch class and run outside into the fresh powder.

Looking up from the feather they were supposed to be Transfiguring into a glove, Sev took in a deep breath and fiddled nervously with his wand.

"Hey, uh, Lily? I was wondering…"

"How's Potter?" she asked, having not even heard a word he said. She was too busy concentrating on her feather to really listen properly; Sev felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment from not realizing that she was distracted.

"Oh, he's doing fine now…back to his old self," he added resentfully as another one of James' crumpled up essays hit him in the back of the head. He had faithfully tutored the boy for so long and even spent all of his free time back in October to brewing the complex memory potion. And this was the thanks he got? Getting pummelled by used parchment?

"Oh…that's good to hear, though…right?"

Sev shrugged. While he could certainly do without the return of that awful nickname, he found himself immensely relieved that Potter could handle his schoolwork on his own now. No more tutoring, and no more childish outbursts.

"So, Lily, as I was—"

"— did you finish that essay for Chapluck yet? I couldn't think of anything good, so I just wrote down stuff like using guns and knives."

Sev frowned. "Well, there's always the _Avada Kedavra_, not that I'd ever use that in real life…"

"Oh."

Lily's green eyes widened in fear at the prospect of someone using the Killing Curse on another human being. Sev had told her about it a year before they got their Hogwarts letters, but until a teacher confirmed that a curse that evil existed, she would remain in denial. Surely wizards found no need to murder, when all of their life's problems could be solved with magic?

Sev knew his friend was oblivious to the evils in the world, but he figured now was not the time to hammer the realities of life into her head.

He couldn't wait any longer…she had already interrupted him twice; he needed to ask her…

"Lily do you want to go play in the snow this afternoon?" he blurted out, feeling rather foolish for acting like this in front of his best friend.

Lily's smile drooped. "I…I can't Sev. I'm leaving this afternoon."

"Leaving?"

She nodded sadly. "Laika invited me to her home for the holidays— oh Sev, don't give me that look!— and I said I'd go. She said I barely spend any time with her and Narcissa because I'm always off with you. I really hate leaving you, but I'll be back in two weeks, at least."

In a matter of seconds, all of Sev's plans for winter break came crashing down all around him. With Lily gone, he'd be forced to spend all of his time either alone or with those dunderheads, James and Sirius. Remus he didn't mind as much, however; perhaps he could get to know the quiet boy a little more? But…_Lily_…the fact that his best friend had agreed to desert him for two girls who would probably end up marrying dark wizards some day scared him.

"But Lily!" he protested, but it was obvious that Lily had expected this reaction, and wouldn't hear of it.

"Sorry Sev. When we get back, I'll see you all the time again. But for now, I really want to be friends with Laika and Narcissa, too. Can't you be happy for me? I'm making friends, and so are you! Why don't you hang out with those three more?"

"Two months ago, you were telling me they were lousy friends," Sev muttered grumpily. His interest in the lesson had completely diminished by now, and he now found himself glaring at the backs of Malfoy and Black's heads.

Why couldn't Lily just be _his_ friend? He was content with having only one friend; why did girls always have to surround themselves with tons of friends in order to be happy?

"Sev, I'm sorry, okay? I'll still send you a present for Christmas…"

"Please don't," he mumbled, feeling too ashamed to add that he couldn't afford a gift for her.

"You know I will anyways. But look on the bright side; maybe I'll be so sick of those two after spending all of Christmas with them that I'll—"

"Evans! No talking! Five points from Slytherin!" McGonagall barked at her from her desk at the front of the classroom.

Lily couldn't believe it. For the first time ever, she had lost points for her house. She, the model student, had just gotten points taken away for talking. Sev had been talking too, but she certainly wasn't going to remind McGonagall of that.

"Sorry," she replied apologetically. "It won't happen again, Professor."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"We'll be to King's Cross in twenty minutes," Lucius informed the three Slytherin girls.

Laika and Narcissa completely ignored his intrusion into their compartment, but Lily darted her glance away from the window and nodded her head in acknowledgement. Lucius seemed amused by this, but said nothing and returned to his own private compartment.

Lily couldn't believe that after just three months at Hogwarts, she was already headed back to normal civilization on the Hogwarts Express. She didn't quite know where Malfoy Manor was located, but Laika had told her that they would use the Floo Network to get there.

Lily wished she had asked Sev what in the world the "Floo Network" was. She didn't want to slip up in front of her friends; especially because they were both from prominent pureblood families and would disapprove of her true heritage. Lily figured she'd done a decent job upholding her half blood status so far; surely she wouldn't have anything more than a nice, peaceful Christmas with her new friends?

Lily smiled to herself as she silently admired her friends around her. She was so lucky to have such wonderful housemates, and she was glad she had stayed in Slytherin. She had just been under a lot of stress back when she had told Sev that she shouldn't be in Slytherin; now that she was used to it, she fit right in with the other Slytherins and had even formed a friendly rivalry with Sev during the season's first Quidditch game. Fortunately for her, Slytherin had won the first match, two-hundred-and-forty to seventy. Sev lost seven Sickles in their little bet, but Lily secretly promised herself that the money would go for his Christmas gift anyways.

Laika had promised that they would do some Christmas shopping before going to her home; Lily assumed they would go to Diagon Alley, but Narcissa said that place was dull and suggested some place called Knockturn Alley.

"It has the most _fascinating_ shops," Laika had gushed, making Lily's excitement grow tenfold. If Laika thought it was great, then it must be true. Lucius grudgingly agreed to letting them wander around for an hour, before they went to another strange place called "Borgin and Burkes" to Floo home.

_Yes,_ thought Lily,_ this is going to be a wonderful holiday…_

* * *

**A/N: **_Okay, okay, next chapter we'll see "the dangers of eavesdropping." This one ended up a little to long for me to add any more. I hope you all liked it, and as usual, I'd appreciate hearing any thoughts you might have :)_


	9. Malfoy Manor

**A/N: **You might be wondering why I updated so soon, and my only response to that is this chapter wrote itself. Once I started typing it out, words just flowed onto the screen until it was done. No breaks. Just some editing at the end, but it was the strangest feeling not hitting a roadblock somewhere in the chapter. I hope you all like it, because it was fun to write :)

In response to AntiCelestial and Escoger's comments on the pace of the story: it'll speed up soon. I'll admit I'm obsessive about details (perhaps too much?), but the first year sets the stage for events to come (I love foreshadowing), and I don't want to glide over anything important. After Christmas, it speeds up ;)

Furthermore, some things in this chapter will require an explanation, and I assure you they are not errors, just wait until the end, where I shall leave you an explanation.

Also, I must point out that I do not Harry Potter, so please do not sue me. Thank you. Enjoy~

* * *

"Are you three _finally_ done?" Lucius asked them irritably two hours later. The four of them were standing idly outside of Borgin and Burkes, waiting for Lily to make up her mind on which gift she was going to buy for Sev.

"Lily, is this really worth all the trouble? He's a _Gryffindor_," Narcissa added exasperatedly. She and Laika finished up an hour ago, but it was Lily who kept them stalling. She had spent over an hour fretting on Sev's present alone; not to mention the rest of the time spent buying things for her Slytherin friends.

Contrary to her initial beliefs, Knockturn Alley was a rather frightening place. Nobody smiled, and there wasn't a joke shop in sight. Nothing but sunken skulls, ancient masks, shadowy orbs, cursed jewellery, screaming paintings and other Dark artifacts lined the front windows of the shops.

At a loss for what to get her best friend, Lily had eventually settled on a book from the creepy bookstore that was next door to Borgin and Burkes, where Lucius was waiting for them so they could all Floo home together.

As they entered the mysterious shop, Lucius nodded cheerlessly to the owner, who grunted his acknowledgement. Lily heard him mutter something about leaving a fifteen year old in charge of three first years being pure foolishness, but neither Lucius nor the other girls heard him.

She was— once again— appalled by the contents in this shop. Books on Dark magic covered the shelves to her left, and things that looked like rotting human bones hung from the ceiling to the right. On the front counter, little figurines in the shapes of miniature human toddlers were constantly distorting from their cute, innocent selves into revolting, monstrous beings that bled from their ears. Lily was utterly repulsed by everything she saw, but didn't dare mention this to her friends, who ambled slowly to the back without a single grimace towards the items around them.

At last, they reached an empty fireplace. Lily was completely bewildered as to why they were stopping here, but she figured her unasked questions would be answered soon enough.

Lucius pulled a small bag of powder out of his cloak pocket and passed it to the others. Lily hesitantly took a handful; since Laika and Narcissa had as well. Did they have to eat this stuff? As savoury as the silver powder looked, it hardly smelled appetizing.

Much to her shock, Lucius strolled calmly into the fireplace and turned around to face them. Throwing the powder on the ground, he clearly articulated: "Home!"

Lily shrieked as bright green flames engulfed Lucius, and within seconds he was gone. Narcissa and Laika remained completely unperturbed by his departure, however, so after a few seconds of heavy, panicked breathing, Lily managed to calm down and convince herself that what just happened was normal.

Laika did the same thing, and within seconds of saying "home," she was gone.

Now it was Lily's turn. Narcissa nodded for her to go before her, so Lily nervously walked into the middle of the ashy hearth. She fiddled with her powder for a moment, trying desperately to prove to her friend that she knew what she was doing.

Narcissa coughed impatiently, and Lily knew that she could wait no longer. Mimicking what the two Malfoys before her did, she flung the powder to the ground and shouted "home!"

**xXxXxXxXx**

After disappearing within the green flames, Lily assumed she would eventually end up standing next to Laika and Lucius in _their_ home. What she hadn't expected was the sound of a girl screaming as she stumbled through the soot and ash of the fireplace at the end of the network.

She somersaulted out of the fireplace and rolled a couple of times onto the soft carpeting beyond the brick mantle. This was certainly a bizarre way of travelling, and she found that she didn't particularly enjoy it. Blinking the grime out of her eyes, Lily looked up and saw none other than her own sister screaming at her.

"Tuney!" she jumped to her feet and went to hug her sister, but Petunia flung herself out of Lily's path before she could lay a filthy finger on her.

"Oh Tuney, it's so good to see you! How have you been?" Lily asked breathlessly, forgetting all about her other friends in light of seeing her sister again. It had been four months since she had been home; the surroundings almost felt foreign to her now.

Petunia regarded her with a disdainful look. "I've been fine until _you_ showed up," she replied coldly. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Lily looked back at the empty fireplace, feeling a sense of dread wash over her. How was she going to get back now? Everyone in her family was a Muggle, and she was pretty sure Petunia didn't have any spare Floo powder lying around.

"I'm sorry Tuney," she pleaded to her sister, wanting to make the most of the short time she would have with her sister today. She wasn't going to even begin explaining why she had just fallen out of the living room fireplace; Petunia would have a fit if she told her the truth.

"Why are you here?" Petunia demanded, looking on in horror at the mess Lily had made on the pristine white carpeting beneath her.

"I don't really know," Lily admitted, wondering what had gone wrong back at Borgin and Burkes. "But I have to leave soon…my friends are waiting for me."

"Of course," Petunia spat. "You and your other freakish friends can use our fireplace any time. Just make sure it's lit next time."

Lily frowned sadly. "Not now, Tuney. Please…it's Christmas…"

"And I'd have a merrier Christmas if there weren't any freaks like _you_ around!" Petunia shrieked, throwing a strand of tinsel onto the nearby couch in anger.

Lily bit her lip. She wanted to argue with her sister, but there was no use in trying to convince her that magic wasn't as bad as she believed. She had to get going— to where, she did not know. All she knew was that the longer she waited, the more of a chance there was of her half-blood lie being exposed. She'd held up fine thus far, and she didn't want to lose her friends now…not while they were just starting to really like hanging out with her…

She'd have to find another wizard's house to get back, but she didn't know of any other…

Or did she?

Lily gasped as an idea sprung into her head. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before?

"If that's how you feel—" Lily rushed, torn between wanting to stay and mend her friendship with Petunia and wanting to get back to the friends that understood her and her new lifestyle, "—then I'm sorry Tuney. But you're still my sister, and I still love you."

Before Petunia could even protest, Lily pulled her sister forward into a tight hug. Petunia screamed about the filth she was getting onto her new dress, but Lily ignored her. They embraced for all of two seconds before Petunia's squirming became too much for Lily to handle. Just as Petunia was about to shove her backwards, Lily darted out of her reach and sprinted for the front door.

"You're going to pay for that!" Petunia wailed, her expensive new clothes now covered in ash. Knocking over her carefully-decorated tree, she chased after Lily, but by the time she reached the hallway, her sister was already gone.

"FREAK!" Petunia bellowed out the door at Lily's retreating figure. Even through her rage, she felt a twinge of shame at the sight of her sister running away from her. She stood there for a while, unsure of what to do now. Her parents would have been home in thirty minutes, and they would have loved to see their favourite daughter.

_Good riddance,_ Petunia thought to herself. Still, her attention wandered towards the door, as though she expected Lily to return. On the angel-themed doormat by the door, there was a small package wrapped in silver and emerald paper. Unable to contain her curiosity, Petunia edged her way over to the door and picked it up.

_To: Petunia_

_Merry Christmas!_

_Lots of Love,_

_Lily_

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Knock. Knock._

Lily had no idea why she had gone ahead with this. It was pure foolishness now that she thought about it. She'd only been here twice in her entire life, and according to Sev, this place was never a good place to be, whether you were a visitor or inhabitant of this lonely home on Spinner's End. Still, if she had any hopes of getting to Laika's house, she'd have to try.

"Who's there?" a woman's feeble voice drifted through the crack in the doorway.

"Hello…Mrs. Sn-Snape? I-It's me, Lily Ev-Evans. I-I'm Sev-Severus' fr-fr-friend," Lily's teeth chattered from the extreme chill in the winds that lashed against her face. "We-we've met be-before."

A hint of recognition came over Eileen Snape's face and she opened the door wider. Her sallow face remained cheerless, but she managed to give Lily a tiny smile anyways. "Hello Lily, please come in dear, don't freeze to death out there."

Lily hesitantly obeyed and entered the home. It was quite dark inside; all of the windows were boarded up and there was no electricity in here, either. Lily startled to see her own breath as she followed Sev's mother through the musty hallway and into the rear kitchen. Nothing in here looked as though it had been cleaned in decades; there were spiders' webs covering the glassware cabinet and the sink was dripping something green and foul-smelling. Lily silently thanked her parents for allowing Sev to eat over so often in the past; he probably would have been poisoned if he eaten anything in here.

"What can I do for you, dear?" Mrs. Snape's asked quietly.

"Well—"

Lily _really _didn't want to ask. But it had been ten minutes since her departure from Borgin and Burkes, and her friends would surely grow worried if they didn't hear from her soon…

"I was wondering if you had any Floo powder," Lily said lamely, avoiding the older woman's gaze. "I…accidentally ended up at my home…first time using the Floo."

"You must state the location clearly," she informed the younger witch. "Don't forget that."

Lily nodded and continued: "I'm really sorry about intruding, but this was the only magical home I could think of."

Eileen Snape was silent for a moment. Her calm black eyes were identical to her son's, Lily noticed. But while Sev's eyes had a mischievous glint about them, this woman had nothing but misery behind hers. The longer they stared at each other, the more uncomfortable Lily became. While she had always known about Sev's parents' "issues," it seemed especially painful to see what had become of the boy's mother over the years. Sev's father wasn't around at the moment, which was perfectly fine with Lily. His absence cast a lonely aura over the place, though, and she almost felt inclined to ask Mrs. Snape to join her on Christmas.

_I wouldn't want Laika to overextend her hospitality, though,_ Lily thought fretfully. It was already nice of her to have invited Lily over; inviting Lily's best friend's mother would undoubtedly be pushing it.

"I have some, yes," she replied after several minutes of dull silence. "Come with me."

Lily followed the woman up the stairs. Dust rose from the ancient carpeting with every step she took, but Lily hardly noticed now.

"How is Severus?" Mrs. Snape asked over her shoulder on the way up.

"Oh! Well…he was Sorted into Gryffindor, I don't know if he already wrote to you or not…"

"He never writes," she replied bluntly, though she sounded as though she couldn't have cared less. "I told him not to."

_Why not?_

"Strange…Gryffindor…never would have thought…_not_ Slytherin…that's certainly surprising…but _Gryffindor_…never did I think…Hufflepuff maybe…" Mrs. Snape was now muttering to herself.

"I can share my owl with him if you want to write to each other," Lily offered politely.

"No thank you."

Lily left it at that. Sev's mom didn't sound as though she wanted anything from him, and she wasn't going to argue the point.

"Here we are, dear," Mrs. Snape said softly as they entered what appeared to be the master bedroom. Over in the corner was a lone fireplace that looked as though it hadn't been used in years.

"I only have a bit, I'm afraid," she handed Lily a small scoop of the silvery powder.

"I'm sure this will be fine, thank you," Lily felt extremely appreciative, though saddened that she couldn't do anything to return the favour. Then again…

Before heading into the fireplace, Lily reached into her cloak pocket and pulled out a small picture. It was a moving picture of her and Sev hugging each other in their second week at Hogwarts. Remus had been so kind as to take it for them in front of the magnificent castle and she felt herself smiling as the memories flooded back to her. She had been saving it for the two weeks ahead— just in case she started feeling homesick for Sev— but she figured his mother needed it more than she did.

"I want you to have this…as my way of saying thanks," Lily handed her the photograph, which she accepted numbly. Tears flitted to the edge of her eyes as she fondly looked down at it. It had been so long since she had seen her son…even longer since she had seen him as happy as he looked in the picture.

She looked back up at Lily and whispered: "Thank you."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Oof!"

As Lily stood up and dusted herself off, she figured she'd never get used to travelling by Floo. The place she was in wasn't much of a difference from Spinner's End, save for the fact that this place was completely spotless. The shadowy room she had landed in had a creepy aura about it; though that was _nothing_ in comparison to what she saw on the walls.

"_Lumos._"

Lily held her wand high over her head and held back a disgusted vibration erupting from her throat. Almost every inch of the emerald green wall was covered with highly disturbing portraits and paintings. In one, there was an old Muggle man being tortured to death by a gleeful-looking young wizard, who couldn't be older than fifteen. To the left of it, two witches were tormenting a group of sobbing Muggle children; underneath it, Lily could faintly make out the words "Muggles in their rightful places."

Too appalled to continue watching, Lily drifted her gaze to the portrait below. A woman— apparently alone— was writhing on the ground in mortal agony. Judging by her appearance, she, too, was a Muggle. She didn't scream, though Lily was certain she would have been had she not been a mere picture. Everything in this room absolutely shocked Lily. Surely this wasn't Laika's home…?

Just as she felt her gaze move to another picture of a powerful snake attacking a man's face and neck, a quiet voice came from behind her: "Do they disturb you, Lily?"

She whirled around in panic, holding up her wand defensively as she acknowledged the intruder. It was Laika.

"No…it's…_interesting_," Lily felt ready to faint, but successfully managed to shield most of her revulsion from her friend. "Interesting" hardly described how she was feeling right now, but it didn't matter as long as Laika believed her answer. "Insulting to humanity" would have been a more appropriate description, however.

"Come," Laika beckoned her. "We've been going through the other rooms."

Lily was thankful that Laika didn't ask why she had taken so long. She didn't have it in her to keep lying like this…

As they met Narcissa out in the silver-carpeted hallway, Lily noticed the other girl eying her suspiciously.

"Lily," she said coolly. "How nice of you to join us…at _Laika's home_."

The way she said those last two words made Lily extremely uncomfortable, but Narcissa had nothing more to say after that. Lily's secret was still safe as far as she was concerned.

"Now, I won't show you _all_ ninety four rooms," Laika drawled as she led the way down a winding stairway. "But I want you to see this one at least…"

After five minutes of walking, Lily started to wonder just how large Malfoy Manor was. None of the hallways seemed to have an end, and they must have passed over thirty doors in a matter of minutes.

"How do you not get lost in here?" Lily joked nervously, feeling Narcissa's steady gaze on her back.

Laika laughed shrilly. "Well, it's a matter of survival I suppose. My great-great grandmother's youngest son, Kirtanire got lost somewhere on the third floor when he was just five years old…they never did find him…stupid child…"

Lily gulped. She decided to stick a little closer to Laika, not wanting to end up like Kirtanire did…

"Ah, here we are," Laika said after what felt like two hours of mindlessly wandering the silver-and-emerald themed mansion. The plain door was like all others, except that this one had a golden serpent head nailed onto it.

"This—" Laika said, motioning to walls around them after the lights magically turned on, "— is the Malfoy family tree."

Lily wanted to snort with laughter at the ridiculousness of leaving an entire room for a family tree, but to her friends, this was no laughing matter. Lily sighed, figuring this was another one of those pureblood traditions Sev had warned her about.

While she had thought the whole idea to be absurd at first, she later found herself thinking otherwise.

_So…these people care more about their heritage…maybe non-purebloods can learn a thing or two. I think it's great they know so much about their ancestors._

Laika's family tree went back for many generations. Several Malfoys had been Minister of Magic, and nearly _everyone_ worked in the Ministry. Other pureblood lines had entered the Malfoy line at various points in the tree; Laika seemed especially proud about one of her female ancestors having a son with some wizard named Grindelwald. Lily was sure she had heard the name somewhere before, but she didn't remember much about the man in general.

"He later left her and the son went on to marry a Muggle," Laika noted disdainfully.

Lily's eyes travelled up the wall from Laika and Lucius up to their parents. Abraxas and Lilu Malfoy. Her eyes carefully traced the lines all the way up to Laika's great grandparents. It was here that the line broke off into another branch; Abraxas Malfoy's father had a sister named Kurra. She had married another pureblood, a man named Kyle Princeldoniargonite.

_What a strange last name._

Lily looked down the line a bit further. Kurra and Kyle had had a daughter named Eileen. However, the girl had had enough sense to shorten her father's ridiculously long last name to simply "Prince."

_Prince…wait, that's Sev's mom!_ Lily thought excitedly. She had expected to see a picture of the woman for solid proof, but for some reason, her picture was blacked out.

"Why are some of these blacked out?" Lily asked Laika, who was busy explaining to Narcissa how her great-great-great-great grandfather had been the best Minister of Magic there ever was.

Laika ignored the general question, but noticed that Lily was looking at Eileen Prince.

"That woman married a Muggle," she said indifferently, as though Eileen got what she deserved. Lily smiled inwardly. _Wait until I tell Sev he's related to Laika! I'd love to see the look on his face…_

**xXxXxXxXx**

Later that night, Lily found it difficult to fall asleep. So much had happened that day, and her mind was positively whirring with excitement. According to Laika, the next two weeks would undoubtedly be amazing and best of all: Lucius had already promised to play two-on-two Quidditch with them on Tuesday.

The three of them were sleeping in Laika's main bedroom, which was approximately the size of Lily's entire house. She had her own enchanted pool, which changed colours with the music that was played by her band of self-playing instruments. Also, just like the Great Hall at Hogwarts, her windows displayed whatever scenery she wanted, whether it were tranquil green pastures in Ireland or the bustling streets of New York City.

Right now, Lily was staring out at a lonely Caribbean beach at nightfall. She could even hear the waves gently lapping over her friends' quiet snores. This place was like a dream. She thought Hogwarts was incredible, but Malfoy Manor, mostly thanks to its lavish and contemporary designs, was absolutely stunning.

"I said 'no'!"

Lily, having just closed her eyes in preparation for a good night's rest in her inexplicably fluffy sleeping bag, jolted awake at the sound of a man's voice not too far away. It didn't sound like Lucius, though…did other people live here?

_Well, Laika's parents_, Lily thought, but hadn't Laika mentioned earlier that they were never home?

Surely it couldn't be an intruder either; with the kind of money the Malfoys' had, they would undoubtedly have the best security in the world for their home.

"But…the break-in…surely you heard about that?" a woman's hurried whisper followed the man's voice.

Unable to contain her curiosity, Lily grabbed her wand and gently snuggled out of her sleeping bag. Careful not to disturb her snoozing friends, she crawled across the vast room as quickly and quietly as she could. With the crashing waves further behind her, she could hear much better now. Laika and Narcissa had barely stirred; they wouldn't notice if she was gone for a few moments, would they?

Standing up, Lily shakily twisted the knob open and she slipped out into the hallway without making a single noise. She released the breath she didn't realize she was holding and slowly crept down the darkened corridor. Torches with hazy green fire illuminated the path in front of her, but somehow this eerie light made it more frightening than if she had been wandering in total darkness. Remembering what Laika had said about Kirtanire, she roughly traced her return route to Laika's room with her wand.

"If you can't trust Gringotts, you can't trust anyone," the man hissed to the second speaker. The voices were coming from a barely-opened room at the end of the hallway on the right. The room was dark, but Lily knew there were people in there. Feeling a rush of bravery, she got up right next to the door and pressed her ear against it.

"What about— agh!" the woman muffled a terrible shriek of pain. Lily desperately wanted to see who the two people were and what had just happened, but for now, it was quite clear they wanted this to be a private conversation…

"Don't touch it again!" she whispered fiercely. "You don't want to accidentally summon—"

Just before Lily heard the woman finish her sentence, a cold, lifeless hand appeared behind her shoulder. Although she hadn't realized it, all of the torches had been extinguished in the corridor; this newfound darkness gave the hand the appearance of acting without an arm. Just before she could scream it quickly covered her mouth while another ghastly white hand dug its nails into her shoulder and slowly pulled her around…

* * *

**A/N:** In regards to the Floo Network, this story doesn't _exactly _follow the canon version. If it did, Lucius and Laika would have said "Malfoy Manor" instead of home, but I felt that Lily messing up and saying home as well added some interesting points to the story, rather than predictably going straight to their home. Also, I know that in canon, Floo Networks are not connected to Muggle homes except in scenarios where the connection will be temporary (like the Dursleys house). I hope that cleared things up :)

Alas, the conflict truly begins...you didn't think the kids would have a nice, trouble-free year, did you?

I would greatly appreciate any comments or constructive criticism (I got a good dosage of that in my other story, and I learned _soooooooo_ much from their advice). Next chapter will be up soon, and I hope you all are still enjoying the story :)


	10. Unexpected Surprises

**A/N: **Sorry that took so long, I had to finish AUR so I could concentrate more on this story...thanks to everyone who reviewed, your support is wonderful! :)

Off topic: I just watched the latest HBP trailer and nearly died with excitement...I recommend you go and watch it ASAP! Okay, okay, onto the story...

* * *

"Curious little girl, aren't you?"

Lily's eyes widened upon seeing none other than Lucius. He released her at once, but she didn't run; she was too paralyzed with fear to even move an inch. Her heart was pounding so ferociously that she wondered silently if Lucius could hear it.

"Come. I'll escort you back to your room."

Lucius relit the lamps in the hallway and beckoned Lily to follow him. The voices behind them were out of earshot by now, not that it mattered, since Lily found that she cared more about returning to the comfort of her warm sleeping bag than finding out who the voices were.

Lucius didn't glance back at her on their walk back to Laika's room; he knew she would follow no matter what.

"Here we are."

He paused at Laika's door and motioned for Lily to go inside.

"Can I trust you will not go on any more midnight walks?"

Lily nodded immediately, and breathed a tremendous sigh of relief once Lucius closed the door. Laika and Narcissa hadn't budged; hopefully Lucius wouldn't tell them about what had happened…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Happy Christmas Severus."

Sev groaned and turned over in bed. It was much too early to wake up!

"Go away," he mumbled tiredly with his face buried in his pillow.

"Don't be a git Sev, it's Christmas! We have presents!" said another voice that Sev recognized at once but couldn't believe he actually said his name rather than the usual "Snivellus."

"I don't have presents," Sev said, sitting up in his bed and blinking sleepily. Once his vision had cleared, he saw Remus smiling cheerfully at him from his bed, and Sirius was boisterously jumping up and down on his own bed. James, however, was missing.

Sev had never gotten a Christmas present in his life, except for last year, when Lily had knit him a scarf without magic. He still cherished the gift, and decided he would wear it for today's special occasion.

He looked down by his feet in disbelief: there actually _were _presents lying at the end of his bed this year. Truly shocked, he looked up at Remus, though he merely smiled serenely back at him.

"Go on, open them!" Sirius prodded him excitedly. "We've already opened all ours."

Sev felt the heat rising to his cheeks as he reached over and picked up a beautifully-wrapped maroon and gold box. He felt a mixture of embarrassment and excitement come over him as he tore away at the paper; beneath the wrapping, there was a shiny new book labelled _A Beginner's Guide to Vanquishing Boggarts._ On it was a neatly-handwritten note:

_Thought it might be useful. Happy Christmas._

_-Remus_

He looked up at Remus, feeling both ashamed of the fact that he found out what had had happened that night back in September and awed because someone whom he didn't exactly consider to be a _close_ friend had gotten him something so wonderful. He was speechless.

"I hope its okay."

"Oh…it's…great! It's one of the best gifts I've ever received," he mumbled awkwardly, well-aware that Sirius could also hear everything he said.

"Open mine next!" Sirius shouted obnoxiously, though Sev knew this was his subtle attempt at easing the uneasiness of the situation.

"But I didn't get you anything," he muttered regretfully as he started unwrapping the massive package where it was because it was too heavy for him to move it any closer to him.

"We don't _need_ anything, mate," Sirius replied honestly, coming over and sitting next to Remus to get a better look at Sev's reaction to his present. Sev knew the Potters and the Blacks were filthy rich, but still, he felt bad that he couldn't at least get them _something_.

The package was crudely wrapped and nearly the size of his trunk. He darted a suspicious glance at Sirius, who was desperately trying to keep a straight face yet failing miserably. Remus looked as though he had no idea, though judging by Sirius' expression, it wasn't good.

In fact, there was absolutely nothing inside.

"Um…thanks?"

There was a tiny scuffling noise in the box. Sev hesitantly reached inside and felt something solid.

"Is it invisible?"

"That's right!"

Sev yelled and jumped backwards— toppling off the end of his bed— as James suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Sirius and Remus roared with laughter as Sev tried to pull himself to his feet, but he had been so surprised by James' prank that he found it difficult to keep his balance.

"How'd you do that?" Sev demanded furiously once he managed to steady himself, with the help of James.

He grinned widely and held up a long, silvery cloak.

"What's that?"

"I dunno, why don't you see for yourself?" James smirked mischievously as he threw the cloak over Sev's head.

"I don't get it," Sev said; he could still see the three boys and didn't feel much of a difference.

"Look down."

"What is this?!" he shouted once he had looked down and saw that his body had disappeared completely.

James tentatively reached out to where he thought Sev was standing and managed to pull it off of him. "It's an Invisibility Cloak, stupid. Sorry, but that wasn't your Christmas present…I'm rather fond of this," he said, shoving the cloak back into his pocket. "Here's your real gift."

After what had come from the first present, Sev was slightly nervous to open the next one.

"No surprises in this one," Sirius told him exasperatedly.

Nope, Sev wasn't surprised at all: James and Sirius had given him a monstrous box of joke shop items. _So typical of them._

"It's from Zonko's mail-order, since we can't go to Hogsmeade 'til our third year," James explained as he and Sirius excitedly dug into the box as though it had been their present.

"Thanks…I just…"

"Don't mention it," James said, putting on a pair of glasses that transformed his entire head into that of a ghoul.

A couple hours later, the four boys went outside to play in the snow. After being cooped up all month, it was great to finally get out and race around in the bitingly cold weather.

Sev brushed the snow off of a small boulder and sat back to read the book Lily had gotten him for Christmas: _Great Gryffindors in History _(there had been a long letter attached and a postscript, "You're the next one!").

Meanwhile, his three friends had started an impromptu snowball fight.

"Come on, Sev!" Sirius called out to him from behind his and James bunker. "We can't have a fair battle without equal teams!"

Sev felt bad that Remus was alone, but he hated participating in anything competitive, especially Quidditch and snowball fights. He shook his head and went back to his reading. Within seconds, two snowballs pummelled him right in the face. Angrily wiping the snow away and brushing it off his book, he glared up at them.

"What was that for?"

"We won't stop until you join us!" James taunted him while Sirius launched another snowy mass at him.

"Quit it!" Sev snarled as the snowball landed onto the crisp new pages of his book. He pulled out his wand to siphon the melting ice away, but James and Sirius kept the attacks coming.

"Fine!" Sev yelled once the intensity of snowball attacks had become too much for him to handle. He set the book down on the boulder and immediately flicked his wand at the snow near James and Sirius. A giant ball of snow the size of a centaur rose up into the air at once. It levitated over them for a moment, before Sev released it on top of their heads. It was like being trapped at the bottom of an avalanche.

He smirked as Sirius tried manually shovelling his way out; James had the sense to use his wand at least.

"_Cheater_!" James roared. "This means WAR Snape!"

"Very well Potter," he replied teasingly as he joined Remus behind their bunker and the war began.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Oh, thank you Narcissa! I'll start reading it tonight," Lily smiled at her friend. Narcissa had bought her a book on Love Potions, which she initially had thought to be too old for her, but figured it was a nice gift nonetheless.

"Who are you planning on giving one to? Your little Gryffindor boyfriend?" Laika teased, though there was a hint of spite in her voice when she mentioned Severus.

Lily laughed. "No way. Sev's my bes— er, _friend_," she hastily amended, wanting Laika and Narcissa to think _they_ were her best friends instead. Then again, one could have three best friends, right?

"You may not need a Love Potion for him anyways," Narcissa noted quietly, looking at the brand new book Sev had sent her for Christmas. Lily knew he had been saving for months for that book, and she felt bad that he had spent so much on her.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Sev's my _friend_, okay? We're too young for boys now, anyways."

"You think so?" Laika's eyebrows rose and she darted a furtive glance at Narcissa, who was watching Lucius walking down the hallway with two of his friends; both of them a year older than him but also in Slytherin.

"Lily's right," Narcissa snapped, though she blushed when she turned around and realized Laika and Lily had been watching her. "We're only eleven."

"Right," Laika scoffed, but didn't push the issue further.

"Hello Laika," a weary voice came from behind the three girls.

"Mother!" Laika squealed excitedly and jumped up to hug her. Lily smiled softly; clearly Laika was very attached to her parents. For some strange reason, they didn't exactly return the affection; instead they seemed indifferent to their daughter's company.

Dark circles rounded under their eyes, Lily noticed, as though they hadn't gotten much sleep lately. Mr. Malfoy was a splitting image of his son, though Lucius possessed a youthful aura that appeared to have abandoned the elder Malfoy years ago.

Poor Mrs. Malfoy was paler than a ghost and looked to be nothing but skin and bones. She and her husband wore long black robes; they would have looked out of place at the Evans' home during Christmastime, though here at Malfoy Manor, they fit right in with the gloominess of the place.

_They don't even have a Christmas tree_, Lily thought sadly, though she was enjoying herself so much that she found it easy to dismiss this small detail.

"Lily, I'd like you to meet my parents," Laika introduced them— apparently Narcissa had already met the two Malfoys on a separate occasion. Their hands were startlingly cold when Lily politely shook each of their hands; remembering Lucius' grip on her shoulders when he had caught her a few nights ago, she figured this must be a family trait.

"Mother…Father," Lucius greeted them, though his tone was icy and his eyes were glittering towards the two suspiciously as he entered the room.

"Lucius," Mrs. Malfoy replied in an equally cold voice, sounding more like a distant acquaintance than a mother.

While Narcissa and Laika hardly noticed what was going on, Lily felt quite uncomfortable seeing how poorly Lucius and his parents got along.

"Are you going to stay for dinner?" Laika asked her parents hopefully, ignoring the scowl on her brother's face.

The couple glanced at each other nervously and Mr. Malfoy shook his head, much to Lucius' relief.

"We can't Laika, I'm sorry," her mother said, absentmindedly rubbing her left forearm as she spoke. "We ought to be back before morning though."

Laika blinked back tears, wanting to shout at them for never being home…for never wanting to be with her…for never caring about her…but instead she remained respectfully silent. It was Christmas, after all, and she just wanted to spend time with them. But no…there was a more important person that needed them…there was no way she would hold them back from the honour of serving _him_…

There was an awkward silence throughout the room: Lily was forcing herself to read the book Sev had bought her to distract her from the scene between Laika and her parents, while Narcissa continued watching worriedly between the two siblings as though she was waiting for them to explode at each other. Lucius looked highly disgusted with his younger sister for her emotional weakness, and their exhausted parents were fiddling with their cloaks, wanting to leave as soon as possible.

"Well, we'd better be off, then," Mr. Malfoy said at last, gritting his teeth and jerking his arm as though he were in pain. Lily was astonished by their departure: not so much the Disapparating, but the fact that they hadn't even said goodbye to Laika, who obviously loved them very much. She felt terrible for her friend, but she remained surprisingly emotionless in front of Lily and Narcissa.

"So," she said weakly, turning back to her friends once Lucius had stomped off. "Wizard's chess, anyone?"

**xXxXxXxXx**

"It's _gone_!"

Lily awoke with a start. Here it was, the last night before she returned to Hogwarts, and the mysterious voices were back. However, this time she was pretty sure she could identify the wailing woman as Laika's mother.

_What's gone?_ Lily wondered silently, barely tilting her head away from her pillow so that she could eavesdrop. The voices remained unfairly muffled and she half considered getting up. Then again, she had managed to stay out of trouble for the rest of her visit at Malfoy Manor; she couldn't risk leaving the room and possibly getting caught again.

_Still…maybe just this once…_

"No," Lily whispered firmly to herself. _Stay in here where it's safe. _

"I told you we should have left it at Gringotts!" a man hissed furiously, though there was a distinctive hint of fear in his voice as well.

"We're doomed…_done_ _for_!" the woman moaned quietly; it sounded as though she was crying.

"Pull yourself together, Lilu!" the man whispered harshly. "We just need to find out who took it and they'll pay the price for their thievery…"

Lily gulped, wondering what the punishment lie in store for the thief of the unknown item. What could have possibly gotten them all in a panic? Did they lose a valuable family heirloom? A portrait of a cherished ancestor? Lily didn't know and she wasn't so sure she wanted to find out.

Suddenly, she heard a _crack_ and Mrs. Malfoy muffled a shriek of surprise.

Unable to simply lay there and ignore the fierce whispering outside any longer, Lily foolishly crawled out of her sleeping bag and hustled to the door. Her wand was shaking in her hand, but she promised herself she wouldn't get too close this time. Just enough to hear what was going on…

"Well?" Mr. Malfoy snarled at the visitor in their room down the hallway.

"Dobby could not find it Master!" a squeaky voice whimpered. There was a thumping sound and the person with the strange voice squealed in pain.

"Do not lie to your master, you piece of filth!"

_That's no way to talk to another person,_ Lily thought angrily, though she stayed her distance away from the room.

There was a bang and red light illuminated from the room; followed by a petrified shriek. Lily jumped back in fright, wondering what terrors awaited her if she was caught again…

Deciding that she wasn't about to wait around and find out, Lily turned and sprinted in the opposite direction. There was only one problem now: she had forgotten to trace a path back to the correct door.

Mentally cursing herself for her foolishness, Lily tentatively reached out and opened a random door on the left. Much to her horror, a wave of seemingly-real human skulls— some with the decaying skin and tissues still peeling off— spilled out onto her feet. Stifling what would have been an ear-splitting scream; Lily slammed the door shut and darted down to another door. This didn't lead into Laika's room either, but at least nothing jumped out at her.

The third door she tried was a bedroom. She couldn't quite see too well in the darkness, but it looked somewhat like Laika's room. Leaving the door open behind her— just in case she needed a quick escape— Lily tiptoed into the room and held up her wand.

"_Lumos._"

Nobody was in there. Spell books lay scattered all over the floor, though they weren't for first years, but rather…fifth years?

"Out for a walk again, Lily?" a quiet voice breathed behind her.

Lily yelped and whirled around— tripping backwards over one of the heavier spell books and falling onto her backside. From the light at the tip of her wand, she saw Lucius standing in the doorway…shirtless.

_EWWWW! _Lily thought, feeling exceedingly uncomfortable at the sight of her friend's brother standing there, half-naked in front of her. Petunia— thanks to her greater knowledge about boys than Lily— had always reminded her that it was perfectly normal for boys to sleep without shirts, but still, hearing about it and actually seeing it were two totally different things. And with Lily's eleven year-old mindset, she felt completely repulsed.

He went forward to help her to her feet, but Lily recoiled, unwilling to get any closer to his bare chest than she had to. She shakily pulled herself to her feet, but kept her wand trained on Lucius.

"I was…lo-looking f-for my tr-trunk."

Lucius' eyebrow rose as he— much to Lily's immense relief— put on a robe. "Of course you were," he said softly though there was an unmistakable hint of sarcasm laced in his words. "Right this way."

Lily desperately wanted to just go back to Laika's room, but the trunk excuse had been the first thing that had come to mind. It was a long walk; she had forgotten that the four of them had already packed their school things and had them waiting by the front entranceway.

Thankfully, Lucius said nothing on their little midnight walk through the creepy corridors of the manor. Of course he knew Lily had been trying to listen in on his parents' conversation again, not that it mattered, as long as she didn't hear _too_ much. She was a Slytherin; therefore he felt he could trust that she would be loyal to the Dark Lord later on. Of course, there was that infuriating little Gryffindor she still remained close to…he would deal with the greasy brat in time, and once he was out of the way…Lily would be a true Slytherin.

"Here we are," he held up his own wand, casting an eerie glow over the pile of trunks. One of them was still open…Lily recognized it as her trunk. Lucius noticed her looking at it and carelessly kicked it closed.

"I had some last minute books to pack."

Lily didn't bother mentioning that it was actually _her_ trunk and not _his_.

"Okay, I just…needed to…make sure it was still here," Lily lied, though Lucius saw right through it. He didn't tell her this, figuring a bad liar was best to remain a bad liar, lest they try to trick you later on.

"Come. I'll escort you back to Laika's room…_however_," he casually glanced back at Lily, making her freeze in place, wondering what he was going to say next. "Can I trust you will remain where you belong? It is rather rude for guests to wander on their own free will under our hospitality…"

Lily blushed furiously, feeling terrible for what she had done. "I'm sorry…it won't happen ever again Lucius, I _promise_."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Here you are, Narcissa."

Narcissa turned slightly pink as Lucius helped her load her trunk onto the trolley outside of King's Cross Station.

"And Lily…"

"That's not mine."

"What? Of course it is."

"No it's not. Look, mine has a Muggle sticker of a deer on it," Lily pointed it out to him.

Lucius froze and his face whitened like a ghost. Laika watched him suspiciously, wondering why her brother was acting so odd.

"Lucius?" she waved a hand in front of his face, though his pale eyes were transfixed on Lily. "Lucius! Just give Lily her trunk already, we're going to be late!"

"I need to see your trunk," he choked, trying to open it, but Lily shoved him away, not wanting him to see all her…_girl_ items in there.

"Lucius that train leaves in one minute!" Laika growled at him, though he seemed to be permanently rooted to the spot. He darted a panicked glance that only Laika could see, but she didn't understand what was going on.

"Let's go," Laika grabbed Lily's real trunk and helped her haul it over to the barrier that led to Platform 9 ¾.

"Wait!" Lucius ran after the three girls, but by the time he reached them, they had already gone through the barrier, and he had to jog back through the masses of Muggles to retrieve his own trunk before he missed the train. He couldn't believe he had mixed up the trunks. Sure, it _had _been pitch-black, but that offered little comfort to him, considering what he had just lost…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"What is _with_ your brother?" Narcissa scoffed on Lucius' third failed attempt at breaking into the girl's compartment.

Laika shrugged behind her _Daily Prophet_, feeling just as mystified by her brother's peculiar behaviour.

"I think he's stuck with the rest of the prefects in their compartment right now," Lily whispered. "I'm going to sneak out and change while I can."

Reaching up into her trunk on the stowaway rack, Lily grabbed her jumble of Hogwarts robes, feeling a wave of excitement wash over her. After two whole weeks, she was finally going back. She missed Sev, she missed her lessons, and as much as she enjoyed the food at Malfoy Manor, she missed the home-style cooking of the Hogwarts elves.

Underneath her assortment of robes, Lily's hand lightly brushed over something small and made of delicate metal. As far as she knew, she didn't own anything that felt like that…

Digging deeper, she saw what it was but couldn't quite believe her eyes: it was a gorgeous golden locket in the shape of a heart with an "S" inscribed in emeralds on the outer part. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry she had ever seen, though for some reason, it remained cold to the touch.

She darted a surreptitious look at her friends: neither of them had noticed her admiring the locket. Hastily smothering it in between her socks and her robes, she jumped down and quickly said goodbye to her friends. Narcissa sarcastically wished her good luck on her way out; Laika didn't even look up from her newspaper.

Lily ran all the way down to the dressing room and slammed the door shut before anyone could stop her. If other girls saw the beautiful accessory, they might want to try it on, too.

_Well obviously it's mine,_ Lily thought, feeling unusually greedy as she held the locket close to her chest. Her heart pounded with anticipation upon this wonderful surprise…or was it the locket that was vibrating?

_It doesn't matter,_ she thought as she undressed and slipped into her Hogwarts attire as quickly as she could. Looking at herself in the mirror, Lily held up the magnificent necklace and slipped it over her neck. It felt cold and lifeless, even on top of her robes, but its beauty more than made up for this minor discomfort.

_Laika and Narcissa are going to be __**so**__ jealous_, Lily thought smugly as she balled up her Muggle clothing into a small pile and dashed back to her compartment.

"What took you so long?" Narcissa demanded as soon as she walked through the sliding door.

"Uh…how long was I gone?" Lily asked uncertainly, having not realized that she had been admiring her latest acquirement for so long.

Narcissa ignored her question; she was now eyeing the locket apprehensively. "What's that?"

Lily grinned broadly and held it up. The green stones dazzled in the faint sunlight that came in through the window forcing even Laika to look up to see what it was.

Once she saw it, all of the colour drained from her face and her jaw dropped. Her eyes seemed to glaze over in horror as her hand shakily rose and pointed a long pale finger at Lily's locket.

"_Where did you get that?_"

* * *

**A/N: **Well, I hope you all liked that: half filler and half plot (I couldn't resist the Gryffindor boys' bonding time fluffiness, sorry). Thing about Lily: she's pretty clueless. This weakness will get her over time, unfortunately. As for the Malfoys' family relationship: it's important. Trust me on that. Yes, I did alter some things from the timeline, but it wouldn't be a very interesting AU story if I didn't! Don't worry, you'll probably get an explanation about the locket in time. ;)

Reviews, as always, are appreciated :D


	11. The Locket

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and I'm _really _sorry I couldn't reply to all of them individually. Life has been kind of crazy lately, but I'll respond to all of the reviews for this chapter, I promise. I'm super excited about the new interest in this story!! Special thanks to Valerie for pointing out the Lily Luna/Lily Evans mistake. I fixed it ;)

* * *

"Give it to me."

"No, it's not yours!"

"_Now!_"

"I _said_ 'no.'"

"I don't—"

Lily whirled around and glared furiously at her friend, who had been following her ever since they had gotten off the Hogwarts Express yesterday. Laika had already tried stealing the locket twice already, but each time, Lily hit her back, thinking she was jealous of _her_ newfound treasure and only wanted it for herself.

"Laika," she snapped. "I'm going to see Severus right now so if you don't mind, please leave me alone!"

Laika glowered at her. "Oh, I'll leave…_once you give me that locket._"

"Why should I?"

"Because it doesn't belong to you!" Laika shouted, her voice echoing along the corridors behind them.

Lily laughed harshly as the cold locket thumped harder against her chest. "It does now."

Spinning on her heel, Lily turned and ran for the Fat Lady's portrait before Laika could try and stop her again. A strange, exhilarated feeling came over her, but she ignored it— she was probably just excited to see Severus again.

On her way to the portrait, she collided head-on with a boy. Neither of them had been looking where they were going, and both of them fell backwards upon impact. Rubbing her forehead, Lily looked up and scowled. Just her luck. She'd ran into none other than James Potter.

He was already on his feet, with eyebrows raised and a stupid grin on his face that made Lily want to clobber him. For some reason, he didn't tease her, but instead continued staring down at her.

"I'm here to see Severus," Lily informed him stiffly once she had gotten to her feet again.

James smirked. "Oh, so sorry, but he's in the common room right now."

Lily frowned. "I know—"

"Slytherin brats aren't allowed in our common room."

His smirk widened to epic proportions as Lily stood there, unable to do anything but glare furiously back at him. There was _no way_ she'd lower herself to Potter's level by asking him for help if she could avoid it.

"_Ohhhhh…_were you hoping _I_ would go and fetch him for you?" he said with mock innocence. Lily looked murderous.

"You know, I'm not really feeling up to playing messenger owl today," James continued airily, twirling his wand in his hand. "Of course, I'd give you the password myself, but you see, I don't want any Slytherin prats freely wandering around our common room…"

The locket thumped harder against Lily's chest the madder she got at Potter. She gritted her teeth, trying to fight against it, but it couldn't be helped. A sense of overwhelming rage was consuming her like an out of control wildfire…

"What the— _Evans!_" James yelped as Lily jumped at him. She grabbed the collar of his robes— as though she was preparing to strangle him— with her left hand, and held her right hand up, threatening to punch him. He knew Evans was a bit violent sometimes— her knocking him off his broom all those months ago proved it— but this was crossing the line!

"What are you doing?" he demanded, but immediately fell silent as the girl prepared for the final blow.

James closed his eyes and braced himself for impact, but it never came. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that Evans was still readying to hit him. He looked into her eyes and instantly recoiled. Scarlet. He saw _scarlet_. Evans' eyes were supposed to be green. Why the hell were they _scarlet?_

He was rendered completely speechless as Lily suddenly stood back and held her head, moaning quietly.

"Evans?" he asked uncertainly, wondering if the red eye effects had been merely his imagination.

She looked up at him: her eyes were green. James sighed with relief. He had only imagined it. Stranger still, her entire personality seemed to change within seconds. The infuriated expression had been inexplicably replaced by a nervous frown, and she seemed to be too embarrassed to look up at him.

"Do you know where Severus is?" Lily asked finally.

James stared at her, completely bewildered.

"What?" Lily was equally puzzled; why was Potter giving her such a weird look?

"Uh…I was just…going to find Severus for you," James stuttered. Not wanting to hang around this bipolar Slytherin any longer, James spun around and sprinted for the Fat Lady's portrait; his screams for Severus only quieted when the portrait closed once more.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Hi Sev," Lily greeted her friend warmly as he stumbled out of the portrait that led to Gryffindor's common room. Severus looked happy to see her, but he also looked slightly apprehensive as he walked towards her. As she went to hug him, she noticed him flinch slightly.

"How was you're Christmas?" she asked cheerfully, ignoring his odd behaviour.

"It was alright," he mumbled shyly. "How was yours?"

"Oh it was wonderful! Laika's house is _amazing_, Sev, you should see it sometime!"

"Yeah, I'd love to," Severus muttered sardonically under his breath.

Lily's excited grin faded and she suddenly became more serious. "And…I saw your mum."

"What?!" he looked up at her, clearly startled by this random bit of news. "At Malfoy's house?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "No…it's a long story, really, but I ended up Flooing home by mistake and your mom is the only magical person I know in our neighbourhood that might have had some spare powder and…she was very helpful."

"Was…was _he_ home?" Severus asked her quietly.

"No."

Severus sighed and they didn't speak for several moments. He was glad that Lily didn't ask him any questions about his father; instead, there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between them not to mention Tobias. The thought of his mother spending the Christmas holidays alone made Severus feel happy, rather than sad. Any time Tobias was around guaranteed plenty of suffering for those around him. Still, he felt slightly guilty for remaining at Hogwarts for Christmas while she was all by herself in that lonely home…

"James said you tried to attack him," Severus said suddenly, feeling extremely awkward from the prolonged silence. Thinking about his parents only depressed him, and they needed a subject change, pronto. Mentally, he hit himself, but he just couldn't bring himself to believe James' story until he heard Lily's side.

Lily stared at him blankly. "I _what?_"

Severus felt heat rising to his cheeks in embarrassment; he didn't like confronting Lily if he could avoid it. "He told me you nearly punched him."

"Is this some kind of joke?" Lily giggled, thinking it was hilarious that her normally-gloomy friend was actually joking around with her. She stopped laughing at the expression on his face however: was he actually being serious?

"I didn't do _anything_ to Potter. I mean, we ran into each other, but I certainly didn't assault him!"

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly, wanting to believe her, but was unable to forget the look on James' face as he came running into the common room looking for him.

"You don't believe me?" Lily snapped, feeling the locket's steady pounding speed up against her chest. "You believe _Potter_ over _me?_"

"Well, I can't really say he…wait! No! It's not that! I just wasn't sure…" Severus pleaded, but she was already stomping away. At his desperate calling, she paused and turned back to look at him. There was no sympathy in her strangely discoloured eyes.

"You know what? I just wanted to say hi, but I suppose I'll let you get back to your other, more-important friends now," Lily said coldly, then resumed her journey back to the Slytherin common room.

"Lily!" Severus ran after her, unsure of what he had said that made her so mad all of a sudden. He reached for her arm, but she furiously jerked it out of his grip and began sprinting away, leaving behind a hurt and very confused friend…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Hi Sev."

Severus looked up from his Potions textbook and stared at his friend. She had a smile plastered to her face and her tone was light and calm today. _What the hell…?_

"Uh…hi Lily…so, you're not mad at me anymore?" he asked nervously, pulling up a seat for her. They hadn't seen in each other for a couple of days, since the Slytherins and Gryffindors only had two classes together.

Lily laughed, her green eyes twinkling curiously. "Mad? At you? Of course not!"

"But…" he couldn't explain what was wrong with his friend. One moment she was as angry as a Hungarian Horntail, the next she was sweeter than a fluffy bunny. Could two weeks at Malfoy's home really change her this much?

Suddenly, he noticed something he hadn't ever seen Lily wear. He wondered why she hadn't shown him that before…

"Nice locket…where'd you get it?" he asked suspiciously as Lily froze; apparently she had forgotten to hide it underneath her robes today.

"None of your business Snape," a different, colder voice answered from behind them. It was Laika. Severus glowered at her, as did Lily: ever since her recent acquisition of the locket, Laika had been in the most disagreeable mood. There were times where Lily had even come close to hexing her friend in order to get her away from _her_ locket. She refused to tell Lily why she wanted it so badly; leaving Lily to assume that she was either jealous or greedy and only wanted it for herself.

"Oh, so it came from you then, eh Malfoy?" Severus spat, feeling his previously-dormant loathing of the arrogant girl returning.

"If it did, I wouldn't be likely to tell you then, would I?" Laika smirked, then turned to her friend. "Lily—"

"Don't even start," Lily snarled, tucking the locket away safely under her robes.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I dunno," Severus replied quickly, not wanting to anger her after seeing how she would act if he got her all riled up. "I just…I just want to make sure you're okay."

Lily sighed, shuffling absentmindedly through her Potions book. To be honest, everything seemed fuzzy to her lately, and she couldn't explain why. It seemed as though people were more asking her ridiculous questions than usual, which was especially irritating. She hadn't done anything out of the ordinary and everyone was treating her like an unstable mental case. Still, she didn't wish to share these feelings with her friend, who might just tell her that she was being paranoid.

"I'm fine, thanks Sev."

They returned their attention to the lesson for quite some time, but Severus found his mind wandering back to Lily's new accessory. It was a nice piece of treasure, no doubt, but who had given it to her? Was it a Christmas present from a boy she wasn't telling him about? What if Lucius Malfoy gave it to her? Was there a picture of him and Lily inside the locket? What if she liked him…?

"Can I see your locket?" he blurted out during a particularly demanding portion of the brewing process, hoping this would distract Lily from declining his request. He _had_ to see what was inside the locket.

The question had been so sudden that Lily hadn't even been prepared for what he was asking. She was surprised at first, but after thinking it over, she felt more upset than anything. So, he wanted the treasure for himself, too?

_He only wanted to sit next to me because he wanted to get to the locket first¸_ Lily thought, ignoring the fact that Severus was _always_ her Potions partner. She'd been handling the situation fine so far, but now she was becoming mistrustful of everyone around her…

Besides, did he really think she'd give it to him, even though he was supposedly her best friend? Over her dead body! Everyone wanted her precious locket, and the more they tried to pry it from her, the greedier she became. _Nobody_ would get their hands on it…it was _hers_ now and she would not allow for thievery of her possession. She knew it was valuable and she was so overprotective of it that she hadn't taken it off since she had first put if on.

All of a sudden, she felt dizzy and her head throbbed as all of her thoughts twisted and mingled together in her mind; each one making her more furious than ever.

"No!" she shouted unnecessarily loudly to the point where everyone— including Slughorn— was staring at her. "Get away from me!"

Alarmed by the gleams of red sparkling from Lily's eyes (or was that just his imagination?), Severus jumped backwards and hustled away from his seat, sitting down several tables away, in between Remus and James.

"Told you she's gone mental," James whispered as the four Gryffindor boys cowered under Lily's fierce glare.

Severus nodded numbly and looked down towards the Slytherin's table. Black looked completely bewildered by her friend's reaction, but Malfoy looked merely…_amused_. Without warning, she accidentally looked back at the four boys and made full eye contact with Severus. A tiny smirk briefly occupied her face, before she quickly hid it behind a carefully-practiced expression of complete neutrality.

"I think Malfoy's got something to do with it," Severus murmured to his friends, unaware that Laika was still able to hear every word he said…

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Thunk._

A rock. It was a _rock_, Lucius Malfoy realized as he bent over and picked up the smooth black stone that had just clobbered him in the back of the head, forming a rather massive bump beneath his silvery blonde hair. Nobody was around here, as far as he could see. But rocks didn't fly by themselves…

"Show yourself, Laika," he growled, gently massaging the sore area on his head.

Off to his left, Laika pulled off a cloak, becoming visible once more. Lucius inwardly cursed his parents for buying her that damned thing for Christmas…she had been begging for one of those new, temporary invisibility cloaks ever since she found out that Bellatrix Black owned one.

"Your immaturity is astounding," Lucius said coldly as she strolled over to him; she was glaring furiously at him as though he had just denounced his family and informed her that he was going to start a Mudblood-rights advocacy group.

"And your stupidity is equally astounding," she spat, throwing the rest of her earthly ammunition at his feet and putting her hands on her hips. Lucius avoided her gaze; even though he was four years older than her, he felt somewhat intimidated whenever his little sister was seriously ticked off, as she was right now.

"I take it you weren't able to get it back yet?" Lucius asked stiffly, knowing that the bloody locket was the only reason Laika had asked him to meet her at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, where they would be completely alone. It was very dark by now, and creepy shadows were cast all over the place. Lucius was used to this place, though Laika seemed slightly afraid— not that she would ever admit to it— and silently began having second thoughts about the security of this meeting place.

"Of course not!" Laika replied crossly. "Everything short of hexing her—"

"Why not?"

"I'm not going to resort to that! She'd go to Dumbledore if I used magic to steal it back from her!" Laika shrieked, feeling a mixture of desperation and rage towards her brother come over her.

"You're pathetic," Lucius cut in harshly. "A worthless friend means more to you than retrieving—"

"_I'm_ pathetic?!" Laika shouted, paying no attention to her surroundings, certain that they wouldn't be overheard. "Who's the bastard who lost it in the first place?!"

"Silence!" Lucius hissed in his most threatening tone, forcing Laika to back off slightly. "The locket will be safer here—"

"—Gringotts is the only _truly_ safe place for valuable treasures…Father said so himself!"

"I don't give a damn about what he thinks," Lucius whispered, his words laced with venom. "Gringotts recently had a break in; as I'm sure you've heard. Hogwarts is the only—"

"Then why _you_, huh?" Laika cried hysterically. Without thinking, she shoved Lucius backwards into a tree, which only angered him further, and he shoved her twice as hard. Laika tripped over a root and fell onto the ground; Lucius smirked triumphantly as she was forced to look _up_ at him, making it appear that she was in a position of total submission while he was in control once more.

"The Dark Lord clearly intended for Mother and Father to protect the locket," Laika hissed, her chest heaving. "And you _stole_ it. The Dark Lord wouldn't be too happy if he found out, would he Lucius? Find out that you lost his prized possession to an unyielding little first year…"

"I mixed up—"

"I know you mixed up the trunks," Laika cut him off sharply, getting to her feet now. "I'm tired of trying to get it back, and I'm _done_ trying to cover up your mistake. _You_ get it back…and if you don't; I suppose the Dark Lord will deal with you himself…_oy!_"

Laika's eyes widened nervously and looked back and forth between the wand poking at her forehead and Lucius, who was now grinning maliciously at her. His deathlike grip on her arm with his free hand made her arm go numb from lack of blood flow. He was livid.

"First of all, I don't listen to first years—" he whispered, jabbing her more forcefully with the end of his wand, "—and second of all, _we _will get the locket back."

"What do you mean 'we'?" Laika asked defiantly, but she cowered once more as her brother held the lit end of the wand up to the very tip of her nose, making her go cross-eyed in order to see it properly.

"Because you know that more than just _my_ reputation rests on this…you will get it back."

There was no room for questions. It was an order, not a request.

Laika glared at him for a moment longer, but eventually broke the gaze first and lowered her head in defeat. No matter how hard she tried, Lucius would always win.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Oh, what are we going to do with this hair, Lily?" Laika sighed dramatically as she swatted at Lily's long red hair. It had been a week since they had gotten back from the winter holidays, and time was running short. Now that she had Lily cornered— Narcissa's presence was hardly a hinderance on her plan— she _needed_ to get that locket back.

"Petunia bought me a straightening iron for it last year," Lily mumbled, looking at her reflection in the mirror. She looked positively _dreadful._ Dark circles rounded under her eyes as though she hadn't gotten any sleep in months, and her hair was a disaster. Frankly, she could hardly care less. Personal appearances hadn't been of any real importance to her lately, and her image was suffering because of it.

"Straightening iron?" Laika asked quizzically, trying to keep Lily calm until she could nonchalantly take the locket away from her. "What's that?"

"Oh," Lily bit her lip, realizing that she had just slipped up again, no matter how insignificantly. "My sister told me about it…it's something Mugg—"

"—you have a sister?" Narcissa interrupted. "What house is she in?"

"Oh, she's uh, finished up with Hogwarts," Lily continued shakily, the same horrible feeling that arose in her chest whenever she lied to her friends was coming back in full-force. "She was in…Hufflepuff."

Laika coughed disdainfully. "I'd rather kill myself before being Sorted into _Hufflepuff_. Did she turn out alright?"

"Yes," Lily continued, ignoring the odd glances Narcissa kept giving her. "She works with the Ministry."

Laika considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "At least _you_ were Sorted into a good house…Slytherin will open up _so _many opportunities for us…"

The room fell silent once more after Laika's ominous last words. Lily felt both excited and afraid to imagine what kind of opportunities Slytherin would offer her. Of course, Lucius and his parents were highly respected in the wizarding community; Laika and Lily could probably end up just as well-off as they were. And Severus had originally wanted to be in Slytherin, so it obviously wasn't as bad as others claimed it was…

As Laika played with her hair, Lily felt cold hands carefully grasping the chain of her locket. Laika was at it again.

"Will you stop it?!" Lily shrieked, temper flaring once more. She jumped out her chair, knocking it to the ground, and flung herself onto her bed to keep Laika away from her.

"I just want to see it!" Laika growled, furious that her plan had been foiled for the umpteenth time this week. Lucius was adamant about getting it back, however, and if she possibly ruined her friendship with Lily…well, that'd have to be a risk she'd have to take. Still, the sight of her friend trembling with fury was slightly disconcerting. Something was severely wrong with Lily, whether it was a personality disorder or what, Laika did not know. All she knew was that Lily had definitely changed in the last week.

"You've gone mental over that locket Lily," Laika snapped while Narcissa stared on at the scene, wide-eyed with fear. "You're yelling at everyone— you even scared Snape away; he's not even talking to you anymore, haven't you noticed?!"

That did it. Laika had gone too far, but she didn't care. Lily froze, and with tears springing to her eyes, she gaped at Laika as her painful words sunk in. As much as she wanted to scream that Laika was lying, she couldn't. It was the truth, and deep down, Lily knew it. Severus wasn't talking to her anymore. He wouldn't even _sit_ near her, because apparently every time he did, she found more reasons to blow up at him.

_How many times did I yell at him?_ She wondered feverishly. The problem was that she didn't remember yelling at _anyone_. But Laika's words certainly made more sense.

"Fine," Lily hissed, all emotions replaced with rage as the locket thumped against her chest, perhaps fearful that Lily was about to give it away…

"You can have your damn locket then!"

She grabbed the chain and tried wrenching it over her head, but instead of coming off, a horrendous feeling cut across her neck, as though someone was slicing an axe through her skin, further and further through her flesh the closer she came to taking it off completely. Her neck turned a blotchy shade of purple and red, as though all of the veins beneath the skin were about to explode. Even her hands burned as though she had set them aflame, leaving black scorch marks on her light skin where the locket touched her.

She screamed and attempted to bear the already-unbearable pain, but after just three seconds, she was forced to release. Her neck returned to normal, and the terrifying sensation of potential decapitation was gone. Still, she was gasping for breath, having nearly been strangled by what had originally seemed to be an ordinary locket.

With tears streaking unashamedly down her cheeks, Lily looked up at her bewildered friends and whispered: "It won't come off."

* * *

**A/N: **Okay...long explanation (in order to clear things up). First of all, yes it's a Horcrux. Also, I'm trying to stick to canon wherever possible; so with that in mind, remember the following: A) one can be possessed by the locket (Ron's eyes gleamed red before he stabbed the Horcrux in DH), B) when possessed, the person doesn't remember anything (see Chamber of Secrets), and C) the locket caused the trio to grow extremely short-tempered and irritable when worn for long periods of time (Lily's been wearing it nonstop for over a week; not only that, but the connection is more deadly for her because it's so close to her soul that she can't even take it off without suffering physical harm).

Lily isn't being a jerk because that's just who she is. She's actually a rather nice person. The Horcrux is stronger when kept close to a human soul (because it can control the person), so it goes crazy whenever someone tries to take it away from Lily. Also, Lily is inherently naive, which leads to negative consequences. Being a first year (and new to the wizarding world at that), her soul is still innocent (read: _weak_) and her mind is confused (think of the values she's been raised with and compare them to her new, Slytherin view on things). This makes it terribly easy for the Horcrux to possess her.

I guess we'll just have to see what happens next chapter. In the meantime, I really appreciate your comments on the story; they're more encouraging than you know! ;)


	12. Out of Control

**A/N: **Wow, thank you to everyone who reviewed! I'm glad everyone's really liking the story! :) I hope you enjoy one of the last few chapters from first year...

* * *

"Miss Evans, is there something wrong?"

Lily didn't look up. She knew she would be in trouble for refusing to participate in today's Defense lesson, but she didn't care. Professor Chapluck could give her detention if she wanted to.

"Look up," the eccentrically-dressed woman demanded, but Lily shook her head defiantly. All of the others were practicing already, and Lily didn't want them to see the tears streaming down her face. A couple days ago, she had found out that the locket would not come off unless she wanted to virtually decapitate herself; Laika had tried everything to get it to come off, but after a while, she too, had given up. Lily's attitude had taken a turn for the worse ever since then, since nobody wanted to be around her, no matter how hard she tried being nice to them. She felt abandoned and alone. Narcissa had suggested going to Professor Slughorn or even McGonagall about it, but Laika had shrieked for Lily not to do that, and she was forced to promise that she wouldn't tell any teachers about her suffering. Laika's motives for this were left unclear, and Lily was feeling more frustrated than ever with her friend.

"I'll be your partner Lily," a quiet voice came from behind her. She knew at once that it was Melika, the forgotten Slytherin girl. The sympathy in her voice was too much to bear, and Lily— without thinking— lashed out at her.

"No! Stay away from me!" Lily slammed her fist on the table violently, but kept her head down as she yelled at the girl. She was just trying to be nice to Lily, but Lily wasn't in the mood for random acts of kindness from anyone at the moment.

Professor Chapluck, slightly worried by her young student's reaction, pulled Lily to her feet with surprising strength and motioned for her to draw her wand.

"Miss Evans," she said with a hint of exasperation in her voice. "I shall be your partner today. Now stand back and look up at me."

Lily numbly walked in reverse and faced her teacher. Her eyes were puffy and reddened, and to Chapluck's slightest discomfort, her pupils were disturbingly off colour…

Feeling nothing but hatred for the woman for making her do this, Lily held up her wand, preparing to strike. Chapluck tried to smile reassuringly, but Lily noticed that she was avoiding her eyes. Even this tiny action enraged Lily.

Forgetting what spell she was supposed to perform, Lily involuntarily flicked her wand at her teacher. The power behind the spell overwhelmed Lily; she had never performed such magic before, and the effect was shocking. Chapluck was immediately blasted backwards, hitting the wall with a deafening _boom_ and falling to the floor, motionless.

Everyone in the class paused and stared at Lily, who was glaring down at her unconscious teacher with no trace of remorse. Her expression was strangely neutral, even though she had just attacked a teacher with rather powerful magic.

Severus, who had been practicing with Sirius, was absolutely shocked by his friend's actions. Lily wasn't the type to do that, but then again, she was a completely different person lately. He had tried his best to be a supportive and helpful friend at first, but after a while, he had no choice but to avoid Lily; every time he was around her, she would just scream at him to get away from her. Well, now he was respecting her wishes.

He looked over at Malfoy; her face was stony and slightly sweaty. She no longer smirked whenever Lily had another one of her outbursts; instead, she appeared more and more troubled every time Lily lost control. Unknowingly, Severus and Laika made eye contact. He raised an eyebrow curiously, making Laika scowl and look away at once.

"Evans has really done it this time," James muttered as he poked at their teacher's unmoving body with the tip of his foot. Severus looked around for Lily; she had already left the classroom. Narcissa Black and Malfoy were just now starting to leave as well; Severus desperately wanted to follow and find out their involvement in Lily's new behaviour, but unfortunately that would have to wait. Seeing that the four Gryffindor boys were the only ones left in the classroom, they had apparently been volunteered for the task of getting Chapluck up to the Hospital Wing. Luckily James and Sirius were the Kings of Excuses; otherwise they'd end up taking the blame for this as well…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Did you bring your cloak?" Severus whispered to James, who was sitting next to him at their table in the Great Hall. James nodded and continued shoving food into his mouth, anxious to get going as soon as possible.

The plan was simple: James and Severus were going to follow Malfoy back to her common room and try and find out if she had anything to say on Lily's condition. Severus strongly suspected her to be the main cause of his poor friend's suffering, and James wouldn't just give Severus his cloak; he had to come along for the adventure as well.

Throughout dinner, the two continually peeked over their shoulders towards the Slytherin table; most peculiarly, Malfoy was watching her brother more than Lily. Interesting indeed…

"She's getting up!"

"Huh?"

With his mouth still stuffed with food, James tried jumping away from the table, but ended up tripping Severus instead. Grinning sheepishly, James pulled Severus to his feet and they innocently walked towards the corridor which led to Gryffindor's tower. Once hidden from the rest of the teachers and students, James threw the cloak over the two of them and they ran back into the Great Hall, this time unseen. Instead of heading back towards the Slytherin common room, Malfoy was heading for one of the little-used exits that faced the Forbidden Forest.

"That way," Severus breathed, unable to point without revealing his hand first. Their hearts pounded as they ran past the teacher's table; none of them could see through Invisibility Cloaks, could they?

Once outside, they saw that Malfoy wasn't alone: Lucius Malfoy was with her. This would certainly complicate things if they were discovered; Lucius was a prefect and he undoubtedly knew spells they didn't.

The two siblings reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest and stopped. Severus and James, unbeknownst to the Malfoys, caught up and stood back fifteen feet, straining their ears to catch snippets of the conversation because they were not willing to go any closer.

"Snape is onto us," Laika reported, sounding extremely irritated at the moment. "He's been watching me in Defense…especially whenever Lily goes mental."

Lucius scoffed. "Are you seriously trying to tell me that a _Gryffindor_ is going to stop you from getting the locket?"

"I can't get it even if I tried…it won't come off her neck."

"Why not?" Lucius demanded, gripping his wand tightly and looking around as though he knew he had been followed.

"How am I supposed to know? She's gone crazy, though…something's wrong with her…"

"Your only concern should be the locket," Lucius snapped.

"_Okay_, and how am I supposed to get it off her?" Laika asked sardonically. "I don't know any magic that could get it off."

If they could see each other's faces, James and Severus would have seen the other gaping at them in shock. So, the Malfoys _did_ have a role in this. Under the cloak, James tugged at Severus' arm, eager to get closer. At first, Severus shook his head, before realizing that James couldn't see him anyways.

"Ask Bella," Lucius replied thoughtfully. "She would know something to—"

"—why not you?" Laika snarled. "Why are you always making other people do your dirty work?"

"_Because_, the only time you can possibly get to it is when she is asleep. And boys are not allowed in the girls' dormitory."

Laika glared at Lucius for a while, then sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll ask Bella. And what are you going to do once we get it back? You can't possibly keep it here…"

"I won't. I have a plan."

After Laika and Lucius had departed, James took off the cloak and stared at Severus.

"You were _right_."

Severus turned his head away from the Malfoys' retreating figures and scowled. "I really wish I wasn't," he said grimly. "But Lily won't listen to me anymore, and there's no way we can get to the locket before Malfoy does."

"I wonder why it's so important to them anyways," James said thoughtfully. "You reckon that's been making Evans go loony lately?"

"Probably…unless it's the Imperius Curse, but I doubt—"

"What's that?"

"You've never heard of the Imperius Curse?" Severus asked in disbelief.

James shook his head. "My dad mentioned it once or twice…what is it?"

Severus looked around for eavesdroppers then whispered: "It's one of the three Unforgiveable Curses. This one deals with controlling another person. But if someone cast the Imperius on Lily, they did a rather awful job of it…people aren't supposed to know when someone is under the Imperius, its best used subtly."

James shook his head in amazement. "You really know a lot about the Dark Arts, huh?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Severus snapped, feeling slightly irritated by the tone in which James spoke.

"Oh, I didn't mean it like _that_," James added hastily. "I was just saying…so, uh…how can you find out if Evans _is_ under the Imperious?"

"There are ways…but we'll have to wait until tomorrow. Come on, we have Transfiguration homework to get to—"

"Evans is in danger, and you're worried about _homework_?" James asked, astonished.

"Well, seeing that there's nothing we can do for the time being, we might as well," Severus shot back hotly. James Potter could be so infuriating when it came to academics…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Why don't you go to Dumbledore?" Remus asked in a weary voice once James and Severus had recounted everything they had heard that evening. The common room was almost deserted by now, even though it was only eight o'clock. Still, the boys took advantage of this privacy and told the other two every detail about the two Malfoys' discussion. Sirius had been more excited by the prospect of sneaking out and invisibly eavesdropping into the Slytherins' conversation, while Remus was more concerned for Lily's safety and the fact that James and Severus had broken the rules by leaving the castle after curfew.

While James babbled on about reasons why they shouldn't tell Dumbledore anything, Severus continued observing his friend: he looked extremely ragged and exhausted tonight, more than usual, anyways. He'd looked like that many times this past year, as though he had some kind of periodic illness that came and went at random. Maybe it was time he got some medical attention…

"Remus, you need to go to the Hospital Wing," Severus said suddenly, quieting James and Sirius immediately, and they stared at the fourth boy as though Severus had seen something in him they had not.

Remus' eyes widened, but he managed a weak smile. "I'm fine, really. Just a bit tired…"

"No, you really ought to see Madam Pomfrey," Severus insisted, getting to his feet and attempted pulling Remus to his feet as well. "Here, I'll come with you."

Remus darted a furtive glance out the window and turned back to his friends, trying to appear as calm as possible. "I'm feeling great…honestly, I don't need to go tonight, and if I'm feeling worse I'll go tomorrow…"

"Nonsense. You need to see a healer."

Without any further arguments, Severus dragged Remus through the portrait hole and escorted him all the way to the Hospital Wing, even at Remus' persistence that he was perfectly healthy.

When they reached their destination ten minutes later, they were slightly surprised to see that Madam Pomfrey was not alone.

"Now Poppy, you know how I want— why…Mr. Lupin, Mr. Snape…good evening."

Dumbledore seemed to lose his train of thought at the sight of the two Gryffindor first years entering the almost-empty Hospital Wing. Off in the corner, looking rather bruised and pitiful lay Professor Chapluck.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled mysteriously as he smiled with what looked like sympathy towards Remus; Madam Pomfrey immediately hustled over to them and began fussing over Remus without even diagnosing his illness first. Severus thought this was rather peculiar, but ignored it as Dumbledore quietly ushered him along. He numbly waved goodbye to Remus, figuring he shouldn't further embarrass the boy by prodding the mediwitch to tell him what was wrong with his friend. He was in good hands, and that was all that mattered.

Once outside of the vast doors, Dumbledore turned and faced Severus.

"Is he going to be okay?" Severus asked before Dumbledore could say anything.

Dumbledore smiled. "Rest assured, Mr. Lupin will make a full recovery. You are a kind friend, Mr. Snape."

"Thanks," he mumbled in return. "What's wrong with him though?"

"That is a matter between Madam Pomfrey and Mr. Lupin," Dumbledore replied seriously.

_Well, at least he's going to heal,_ Severus thought. His mind then wandered back to Lily. Standing in front of him was perhaps the most powerful and brilliant wizard alive…this was his chance to get Lily the help she so desperately needed…

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"My friend…Lily Evans…she has…a problem," Severus stuttered, unsure of how to explain Lily's predicament to Dumbledore.

"A problem? Could you please elaborate?" the old headmaster asked gently, motioning for Severus to walk with him along the shadowy corridors.

"Well," Severus bit his lip as he walked along. How should he say it? He didn't want to get Lily into trouble, but he couldn't allow her to continue acting like the monster he knew she wasn't. "She's not herself. She's…well, more angry than usual. She's my best friend, but she's not the Lily I thought I knew," he finished lamely, feeling slightly intimidated by Dumbledore's formidable appearance.

Dumbledore's smile disappeared. "Not herself? Do you know what has caused this change?"

"No," Severus lied. He had a strong suspicion that it was Dark enchantments from the locket, but he didn't want to tell Dumbledore too much. Avoiding the old man's gaze, he continued: "I was just wondering…if you could…I dunno…watch over her, I guess?"

Dumbledore sensed the boy was lying to him, but he didn't mention this. The boy obviously cared deeply for his friend, and he knew that having a Gryffindor friend would prove beneficial to Miss Evans over time. It would be a crime to allow their friendship to collapse if there was something he could do to alleviate the situation…

"Yes, Mr. Snape. I will do my best to ensure Miss Evans' safety."

"Thank you sir."

**xXxXxXxXx**

Laika's eyes fluttered open at the sound of faint footsteps making their way up to the first years' dormitory. Laika checked her wristwatch: it was just after midnight. Lily and Melika were probably lost in the land of dreams by now; hopefully Narcissa was asleep as well. Laika didn't want her messing with their plans…

The door creaked open. There was no light emitted from the opening. If Laika hadn't noticed the vaguely solid outline and familiar glittering black eyes of Bellatrix Black, she would have believed that a ghost had just entered the room.

Bellatrix paid no attention to Laika; she wasn't supposed to. Everything was already planned out, and Laika trailing behind her would only impede her efforts. She wore no invisibility cloak; Bellatrix had destroyed it after one of the seventh year boys called her a coward for hiding under it. _Nobody_ called Bellatrix Black a coward, however, and the boys eventually got what they deserved.

As swiftly and noiselessly as a dementor, Bellatrix made her way over to Lily's bed and towered over her; calculating which spell would do the job of releasing the locket from the small girl's delicate neck. Her pale, claw-like nails reached into her robe's pocket and retrieved her wand; Laika felt chills go down her spine as she silently watched the older girl examine her wand with perturbing enthralment. Laika was sorely envious of Bellatrix's power; she knew more spells than people twice her age. The Dark Lord would undoubtedly welcome her with open arms once she was ready to join him. This was more than what Laika could say for herself. She was an average student, but she would never be as good at Potions as Lily was or a genius at Transfiguration as Narcissa was.

Bellatrix never had these kinds of problems. All her friends cowered in fear whenever they were around her, and she was one of the most respected members of Slytherin House. She was a prodigy, and Laika couldn't help but despise her for this. Narcissa, surprisingly, didn't seem to mind her sister's popularity as much as Laika did….

Suddenly, there was a flash of blue light and a mild breeze swept through the room. Lily let out a low cry of pain, but did not wake up, perhaps due to the fact that Bellatrix had wisely poured a strong sleeping potion down the girl's throat before attempting the removal of the locket.

Bellatrix did not laugh nor cheer with triumph; she merely held up the newly-freed treasure so that Laika could see it clearly. Something was dripping from the chain of the locket; with a jolt, Laika saw that it was blood. Lily's blood.

Laika did not get up or say anything, but simply watched as Bellatrix quickly made her way for the exit, her dark bed robes rippling behind her. Unbeknownst to the two girls, the eyes of Narcissa Black had seen everything…

**xXxXxXxXx**

Waiting in the common room for her was Lucius Malfoy. Bellatrix wordlessly acknowledged his presence and headed for the exit at a sprint. She was surprisingly graceful, even though she ran in knee-length boots and had a ragged spidery-skirt bound to her slim waist.

Lucius darted after her, hoping that this meant that she had indeed recovered the locket, and they were moving on to phase two in their plan. Both fifth years jogged along the darkened corridors outside of the dungeons; neither of them spoke for a very long time. The silence was deafening, and for a while, the only sounds they could hear were the echoes of their footwear quietly thumping along the stony floor. Once they were above the ground, their whitened faces were vividly illuminated by the moonlight spilling in from the windows. While Lucius' eyes darted side to side in anxious terror, Bellatrix's cold black eyes remained focused on the path ahead, and no trace of victory or defeat could be detected from her neutral facial expression. Still, there was an unmistakable glint of gold flickering in between Bellatrix's bony fingers, telling Lucius they had won the locket back after all.

Still, much to his discomfort, Lucius felt his heart pounding ferociously against his chest; here he was, a prefect, out of bed well after curfew and running along the hallways with a cursed necklace that was apparently covered in blood, judging by Bellatrix's hands. Highly suspicious indeed.

All of sudden, Bellatrix slid to a stop. Lucius, not realizing she had done so, collided with her and they both tumbled to the ground. She glared icily at him, but said nothing as she scrambled over to a statue and hid behind it. Lucius hurriedly followed the suit, but couldn't figure out what she was doing. Had she seen someone?

"What are you doing?" he hissed. Bellatrix painfully shoved him with her elbow to shut him up and pointed upwards. Hovering just a few feet above their heads was Peeves. Grinning maliciously, he crossed his arms and cackled in a loud voice: "Well, well, well…students out of bed…"

"Shut your mouth," Lucius ordered authoritatively; next to him, Bellatrix was hitting her head against the statue in frustration at Lucius' inability to control rather precarious situations. Ordering Peeves around was _not_ the best way to get him to leave them alone.

Peeves roared with laughter at Lucius, bringing some colour to his once-pale cheeks. "Prefect eh? I really ought to let the headmaster handle this—"

"—NO!"

"— but what fun would that be?" Peeves smirked, holding up several swollen water balloons, but it didn't look like they were filled with water…

Lucius, noticing that Bellatrix had already begun to run away, sped after her, with Peeves right on his heels.

"_Protego!_" he whispered in his quietest voice as Peeves lobbed a couple of balloons at him. The shield wasn't strong enough, and two balloons nailed him right in the back. They smelled horrible, and it took all of Lucius' patience not to shout out. They were supposed to be silent, after all; otherwise, they would be caught. Avoiding Peeves was more of a priority at the moment, so Lucius decided it was time to use magical force against the poltergeist.

Just as Bellatrix shrieked— no doubt having been struck by a balloon or two— Lucius flicked his wand furiously up at Peeves, who immediately fell silent. Out of balloons and unable to talk, Peeves gave Lucius the one finger salute and floated away, no doubt silently mouthing curses at the two as he left.

Lucius, ignoring the horrendous smell on both his and Bellatrix's robes, pulled her to her feet and they resumed their journey, though at a cautious walk this time. The liquid— whatever it was, Lucius didn't want to know— had a rather nasty effect on their clothes, turning their once-emerald green cloaks an ugly brownish colour. Luckily, Bellatrix managed to get most of it off with "_Scourgify!_"

"We're almost there," she panted, trying to sound as calm as possible. Lucius was actually more shaken up than she was; after all, it was his and his parents' reputation and standing in the Dark Lord's ranks on the line. The idea alone was terrifying, not to mention possible suspension for everything he had done that night. Well, it wasn't the thought of leaving Hogwarts that disturbed him, but rather what he would do if he was forced to return home forever. He had a reasonably good idea of what his future held for him, but it was wiser to remain at Hogwarts for as long as possible, in order to prepare himself for the ever-heightening war…

"We really ought to Transfigure this," Bellatrix muttered tonelessly once they were just thirty or so feet from their destination. She paused and held her wand over the bloodstained locket.

Suddenly, Lucius heard footsteps behind him. They were very soft, as was the grave voice that accompanied them.

"Miss Black…Mr. Malfoy…you two are certainly up late this evening."

Bellatrix's jaw dropped in horror and she whirled around to face Dumbledore. Lucius didn't want to turn around, fearing that that meant he was admitting his identity to the headmaster. There was no other options, however, so he numbly turned around and gaped at Dumbledore's strange violet-coloured robes. His mind seemed to freeze under the intensity of the situation; with the plan forgotten completely, he glanced sideways at Bellatrix. She was clutching the locket as though it was her lifeline; unfortunately, Dumbledore noticed this.

"May I see what are you holding, Miss Black?"

"No," Bellatrix replied too quickly. Dumbledore's eyebrow rose in curiosity.

"May I ask what you two are doing out of bed so late then?"

The two Slytherins looked at each other. They were _far_ from their common room; how in the world could they reasonably explain themselves? Lucius knew Bellatrix was an accomplished Occlumens, but even she was at a loss for words at the moment.

"Needed a bit of fresh air," Lucius croaked, knowing Dumbledore would probably see right through his lie.

Dumbledore, still gazing at the locket in Bellatrix's hands, smiled sadly. "I do not wish for you to lie to me, Mr. Malfoy. You have realized, I am certain, that you are on the opposite side of the school from your dormitories after curfew?"

"Yes," Bellatrix replied defiantly, still holding onto the locket for dear life. She hadn't managed to Transfigure it before Dumbledore showed up; if he took it from her, they were doomed.

"I see," Dumbledore responded thoughtfully. "Well, this is quite a problem then, isn't it?"

"It…is?" Lucius repeated, unsure of how Dumbledore would punish them. They had been caught red-handed, and he would not let them off easily.

"Oh yes," Dumbledore continued gravely. "I'm afraid I must take that from you."

"Why?" Bellatrix snarled boldly, hiding the locket behind her back as Dumbledore looked at her again.

"Miss Black, you are clearly very fond of that locket, however, I must take it due to these suspicious circumstances. You will not be punished if you give it up willingly."

"Never," Bellatrix hissed passionately. She knew of the importance of the locket, and freely giving it up to the stupid old man would be a terribly traitorous thing to do.

Dumbledore frowned. "Then I must take it by force, then."

Bellatrix shrieked as Dumbledore lazily flicked his wand towards her; the locket immediately sped out of her hands and landed softly into his own. He examined it with great interest, though the green stones in the shape of an "S" seemed to trouble him slightly. Lucius and Bellatrix were unable to breathe as Dumbledore prodded at the locket with his wand, continuously muttering incoherent incantations under his breath. Neither of them _dared_ to say anything, lest they give away just how valuable it really was.

Finally, after nearly a lifetime of waiting, Dumbledore looked back up at them.

"Goodnight you two."

Bellatrix, stunned by this abrupt dismissal, charged up to Dumbledore and got right in his face. She fearlessly towered over him— she was surprisingly tall next to his old, seemingly-frail figure— and held out her hand.

"I want my locket back," she hissed in a voice that would have sent chills down anyone's spine, but Dumbledore looked merely amused by this confrontation. By now, Bellatrix had realized that since _she_ had lost the locket, the Dark Lord would blame _her_, rather than Lucius, who had apparently lost it to the Evans girl in the first place. Bellatrix would not give up without a fight if the blame could potentially rest on her shoulders…

"I am keeping this locket."

"Why?" Bellatrix nearly spat in his face, but Dumbledore didn't back away. Without warning, Bellatrix felt his piercing blue eyes examining her own, and she instantly put up her Occlumency shields. How _dare _he try using Legilimency against her...

Dumbledore chuckled softly and turned to leave. "I said _goodnight_, Miss Black."

As he departed with the locket safely hidden within his pocket, Bellatrix couldn't bring herself to run after him. Instead, she fell to her knees in despair and Lucius slumped against a nearby wall. The impact of their failure was mind-numbing. They had lost the Dark Lord's prized possession to the only one he had ever feared.

* * *

**A/N:** Just in case you didn't notice, I adore Bellatrix. Partially because I've always liked the crazy mental case characters like her, and partially because I think Helena Bonham Carter does a wonderful job with her in the movies. Next chapter is probably my favorite one in the entire story so far (hence the reason why this chapter may have seemed a bit rushed...I'm too excited to move on to chapter thirteen haha). Just to warn you, it will be somewhat darker than anything I've written so far. Nothing horrendous at least. As for Lily and Severus: they will come back to the spotlight soon. Right now, there's just more important things to cover...

So what'd you think? Good? Not so good? Try something else? Reviews are always appreciated ;)


	13. Bellatrix's Revenge

**A/N: **This chapter was surprisingly difficult to write. It's much shorter than the last one, and I hope you all enjoy it~

* * *

"She had quite a scare, poor girl…"

"Is she going to be okay?"

"Oh, I've seen worse, my dear boy. She'll be perfectly fine in no time. The only thing I find troubling is how she acquired those wounds in the first place…are you certain you didn't see anything unusual last night, Miss Black?"

"No Madam Pomfrey. It was very dark and I believe I must have been asleep when this happened."

"Oh dear…I'll have to speak with the headmaster then…"

The girl lying peacefully on the bed was Lily Evans. Her mind was blank and fuzzy, and somewhere beyond the pinkish clouds of the misty dream land she was trapped in, she heard voices. She couldn't identify the speakers, but their softly spoken words relaxed her.

This blissful slumber didn't last long, however; after a while, she began to feel a sharp, stinging pain near the back of her head, right around her neck. As the throbbing worsened, Lily knew she couldn't hide in this strange place forever…

With some effort, her eyes fluttered open.

_Hello reality,_ she thought sleepily as her eyes adjusted to the morning light shining through the massive windows across the room. The voices instantly quieted upon her awakening; the three vague figures patiently waited for her to become fully conscious before asking questions.

"Sev?" she mumbled softly. Her friend's eyes widened and a small smile crept onto his face. The girl standing next to him looked familiar too. "Narcissa?"

"Are you feeling alright, Lily?" Narcissa asked calmly, taking a seat on the edge of her bed and gently stroking her friend's hair.

"I dunno…my neck hurts, am I—"

"You sustained some serious injuries back there," the woman known as Madam Pomfrey said. "You will have to leave those bandages on just one more night, to make sure you are fully healed."

Lily muttered her thanks and tried to sit up, however, the burning sensation in her neck returned at this tiny movement, and she was forced to lie back down.

For reasons she couldn't explain, she felt strangely…lighter. Her world was clearer, and she felt happier than she had felt in a long time.

Gazing into Severus' worried eyes, she remembered what Laika had told her: she had been such a jerk to him these past weeks. She had yelled at him endlessly and told him to get away from her more times than she could count on two hands. She had been a monster. Not only that, but a lousy friend. And yet…he was still here for her.

"Oh _Sev_!" she cried, jumping out of bed— ignoring the horrendous pain as she did so— and flung her arms around him, startling him slightly.

"Lily…you really need to lie down—" he awkwardly patted her on the back, feeling a little embarrassed as Narcissa smiled knowingly at him and Pomfrey even wiped a tear from her eye.

"I've been the biggest prat in the world," Lily cried into his shoulder, feeling overwhelmingly remorseful for the way she had been treating him for so long. She didn't even remember doing most of what people said she did, but she apologized profusely anyways. After all, she had very nearly driven away her best friend in the entire world, and she knew that Sev wouldn't leave her unless there was a really good reason…

"Lily calm down, I forgive you…"

"But I've been so _awful_ to you!" Lily whispered in a strangled voice. "How can you possibly forgive me so easily?"

Severus pushed Lily back and firmly grasped her arms. Lily didn't know that it wasn't her fault, and he was determined to tell her the truth…eventually.

Looking into her forever-green eyes, he sighed. "Because friends forgive each other."

Lily smiled and tearfully jerked him back to her in another bone-crushing embrace. Narcissa continued gazing on at the scene; feeling both amused and oddly cheered to see Lily reunite with her Gryffindor friend. Once she let go of the poor suffocating boy, Madam Pomfrey forced her to lie back down again. Rolling her eyes, but doing as she was told, Lily turned to Narcissa.

"I'm sorry for anything I did to you and Laika…I honestly don't remember much, but I know I've been really nasty—"

"Don't worry about it," Narcissa replied coolly, though deep down, a pang of guilt constricted in her chest. She had lied to Madam Pomfrey…she _had_ seen who it was and what had happened. But she couldn't possibly incriminate her own sister. She adored Bella, and Lily was going to make a full recovery within a couple of days. As far as Narcissa knew, everything was going to be fine.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"You must certainly realize that the evidence against you is overwhelming, Miss Black."

Bellatrix's harsh black eyes glared hatefully back at Dumbledore's quiet blue ones. The plan had been _so_ perfect…how did things manage to go so horribly wrong?

At first, she had been somewhat relieved by the fact that Dumbledore had let them off the night before; however, this morning, she received an urgent message to come to the headmaster's office. Apparently she wasn't getting away without punishment after all…

"You have no absolute proof that it was me," Bellatrix replied as calmly as she could manage. "It would be such a pity to blame the wrong person."

Dumbledore did not smile. "Then could you please explain to me how Miss Evans' neck wounds are completely unrelated to the bloodstained locket I found you with last night? Mere coincidence perhaps?"

Bellatrix continued glaring. "It's not mine. It belongs to Lucius."

Dumbledore nodded slowly, but continued frowning. "But Mr. Malfoy couldn't have gotten up into the girls' dormitory last night to hurt Lily Evans—"

"What about the other girls?" Bellatrix demanded. "What if it was _them_?"

"Then why did you have the locket?" Dumbledore asked calmly, his eyebrows rising in the most irritating way. "And they are first years, Miss Black. They would not have been capable of such magic. Because you are the only possible suspect left, I'm afraid I have no choice but to suspend you from Hogwarts."

"_What?_" Bellatrix hissed, trying to maintain her coolness, but that was gradually slipping away the longer she was in the headmaster's presence. "But it was Lucius! Punish _him!_"

"Miss Black, while he may have been with you last night, there is no evidence that he harmed another student as you clearly have—"

"— I didn't—"

"— please do not interrupt me, Miss Black, because I find it rather rude. I cannot tolerate such behaviour around other students, especially those younger than you. You deliberately harmed Miss Evans last night, and you must understand the seriousness of what you have done. Come, I shall escort you to your home."

He motioned to the fireplace. Bellatrix kicked her chair to the ground, but did not walk forward. Instead, she stood defiantly where she was, unwilling to give in to the old man's orders.

"For how long?" she spat, feeling a strong rush of hatred towards Lucius come over her. If it hadn't been for him, she wouldn't even be in this mess. She was doing him a _favour_ for God's sake, and this was how he thanked her? By not even coming here to support her story that she didn't hurt Evans?

"Two weeks."

"Forget it."

Bellatrix began stomping towards the door, but was enraged to find that it was locked. Eyes flashing dangerously, she whirled around the face Dumbledore, who was still waiting patiently next to the fireplace.

"Let me out or I'll kick this door down myself."

"Go ahead. I daresay it's time that I replaced it anyways," Dumbledore gave her a small smile, as though he were daring her to try. "However…it would save so much time if would please follow me."

"You can't suspend me," she said shrilly. "I did nothing wrong."

"Miss Black, if you insist on arguing, then I could invite your parents here if you would prefer that."

Bellatrix's eyes narrowed. "They would believe me. They would know that you're convicting an innocent girl. My parents would not be pleased then, would they Professor?"

"Miss Black, follow me or I will expel you from Hogwarts," Dumbledore said in a mildly threatening tone.

For a few seconds, Bellatrix considered turning around and busting down his door, but figured that expulsion really wasn't worth it. She was too young to leave Hogwarts; there was still secrets to discover and advanced magic to learn. The Dark Lord would never allow a dropout to join him without advanced knowledge of magic…well beyond that of a fifth year level, anyways.

Slowly and reluctantly, Bellatrix made her way over to the fire. Her parents wouldn't be mad at her, of course, but the fact that Lucius had inadvertently framed her was downright infuriating.

_Lucius will pay for this,_ she thought revengefully as she stepped through the green flames without saying goodbye to Hogwarts.

**xXxXxXxXx**

The handsome, dark-haired man did not speak, yet all eyes were on him. His silent, watchful eyes interchanged between hazel and a violent shade of scarlet as he observed the unnaturally stiff people around him. He examined his phoenix-core wand with feigned interest, as though he wished to pretend these fools didn't even exist, and it was just him and his wand in that dimly-lit room. The people didn't dare utter even the faintest cough in his presence. They all waited expectantly for him to say something, but behind their fake masks of eagerness, he saw nothing but cowardly fear.

All of them were failures. What a sorry lot of idiots this brilliant wizard had as supposedly 'loyal' servants. They could never do anything right; whether it was Imperiusing an important Ministry official or ridding the world of the filth known as Muggles. Worse still: whenever he displayed the littlest ounce of confidence in one of them, the results were usually disastrous. Lord Voldemort did not like when his followers disappointed him. Ah well, that's what Unforgiveables were for…

The latest Death Eaters to mess things up were, unsurprisingly, not present at the moment. Abraxus Malfoy's Imperius Curse on Darcy Umbridge, one of the most influential people in the Ministry of Magic (besides the Minister, of course), had worn off after just two weeks. She was out of their reach now, and the public was growing very suspicious about Death Eater activity within the Ministry. Meanwhile, Lilu Malfoy's failures were too great for Voldemort to bother counting.

On top of everything else, the Malfoys had misplaced something that Voldemort had strictly instructed them to guard as though it were their own lives. It was a locket. One of his most prized possessions. Of course, he hadn't told them why it was so important, and he had so wrongfully assumed that the message that it was worth more than either of their lives combined would have gotten through the pathetic minds of his previously most-faithful and dependable servants.

Come to think of it, the two Malfoys had become more of a liability to Voldemort lately…perhaps it was time to say goodbye…

"Rosier," Voldemort's terrifying voice echoed along the empty walls of the room. He did not bother looking up to see the man's reaction.

"My— my Lord?"

Voldemort's eyes narrowed at the sound of apprehension in the man's voice. Rosier was like all of the others: a coward who only joined him out of fear. Would there never be someone truly devoted to him? Someone who wouldn't answer him in fear, but rather unwavering loyalty?

"You have ways of communicating with the Malfoys, am I correct?" Voldemort hissed softly.

"Yes…yes my Lord."

Voldemort smiled cruelly and looked up at his followers. "Because…it appears that Abraxas and Lilu have lost interest in answering my summons."

At once, every Death Eater around the table unconsciously flexed their left forearms and continued watching their leader.

"What— what message do you have for them, my Lord?" Rosier stuttered, refusing to make eye contact with Voldemort.

"'I want it back,**'**" he replied quietly, though his voice was overflowing with venom. The Death Eaters looked bewildered by these words— none of them had heard of the assignment Abraxas and Lilu had been given, after all— but kept their confusion to themselves. What their lord wanted was anyone's guess. All they knew was that the Malfoys were in trouble, judging by the tone in which their lord spoke.

"I know where your locket is, my Lord," a new voice came from the doorway.

It was a girl, perhaps no older than fifteen or sixteen. She appeared to be awestruck from Voldemort's presence; and she easily ignored the jeers and muffled laughter erupting from the masses of people surrounding him. She only had eyes and ears for the man at the end of the table.

Voldemort was immediately intrigued by the girl's sudden presence and what she had said, though he did not show this to his Death Eaters.

"_Bellatrix!_"

Voldemort watched on in mild curiosity as one of the men leaped to their feet and looked back and forth between the girl and his master with an expression of unmistakable panic. Strangely, the girl did not appear to be afraid. Instead, she was staring down towards Voldemort with breathless wonder, seemingly unaware of what consequences lay before her if Voldemort decided her presence was unnecessary…

"Black," Voldemort directly addressed the Death Eater who had gotten to his feet. "Do you know this girl?"

Cygnus Black quickly lowered himself back into his seat, trembling slightly as he did so. "Yes my Lord. She is my daughter…please forgive her intruding, she is young and naïve…she shall leave at once," he added with a murderous glare towards Bellatrix.

"There'll be no need for that," Voldemort whispered, still secretly interested in how the girl came to know about his locket. The Death Eaters fell silent, almost jealous by the attention the girl was receiving from their master when she was not even a member. "Come in."

Bellatrix's heart pounded against her chest as she walked into the room. She knew that she had just risked it all by interrupting this meeting, and luckily for her, Voldemort did not punish her…_yet_. Seeing that her left arm was sadly free of the Mark, she was forced to sit down at the opposite end from him, much to her dismay. Still, she figured she was fortunate to have been granted a seat in the first place. Perhaps that locket was more valuable to the Dark Lord than she realized…

"My locket, you say?" Voldemort asked quietly after a long period of silence, his hands resting below his chin as he observed the teenager across from him. Everyone else looked on anxiously, wondering what their master would do to this girl if she proved unworthy of Voldemort's attention. Surely their lord couldn't be missing something as trivial as a locket…

But Bellatrix knew. She had forced Lucius to tell her why it was so important to get it back before she had agreed to go ahead with the plan. Since Lucius ended up betraying her, Bellatrix was about to get her revenge…

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Knock. Knock._

Abraxas and Lilu Malfoy both jumped to their feet at once. It was late, perhaps midnight…why was there someone knocking at the door?

"I'll get it," Abraxas told her, but Lilu shook her head, so they went together. Their shattered tea cups were strewn all over the pristine white carpet from when they jolted off of the sofas, but Lilu did not go back to tidy up for their guest.

The Malfoys gave each other one last nervous glance once they reached the door, and Abraxas slowly pulled the massive door open.

"Lilu…Abraxas…good evening."

The Malfoys were speechless. Standing in their doorway was the Dark Lord himself. Never had he visited them before, except for the one time when the Death Eaters congregated there.

"My Lord," they both murmured and bowed their heads respectfully.

"Please come in," Lilu beckoned him inside, but Voldemort remained where he was.

"Is everything alright my Lord?" Abraxas asked, feeling slightly queasy. He had felt the Mark burn a couple of hours ago…and had chosen to ignore it. Was this why Voldemort had come to their home?

"Actually," Voldemort hissed contemptuously. "Everything is _not_ alright."

His normally-hazel pupils gleamed scarlet as he watched the couple cower into the foray behind them. Voldemort followed them into the house. There would be no escaping…

"My— my Lord?" Lilu spoke in an unnaturally high voice.

"Tell me…have you found my locket yet?"

"Well…we are certain we know where it is—"

"— _do not lie to Lord Voldemort! He knows the truth!_"

Lilu fell to her knees, unable to keep her balance. "My Lord, please! We can find it! Have mercy, my Lord!"

"Have _mercy_?" Voldemort sneered. "Even after you lost my most prized possession to _Albus_ _Dumbledore_?"

Lilu and Abraxas were stunned; they hadn't seen the Hogwarts headmaster in months. How could he possibly have taken the locket? Surely someone had deceived their master…

"My Lord, we have not seen Dumbledore—"

"Silence! It is the truth. Your carelessness disappoints me."

"My Lord!" Lilu sobbed, pulling at his robes, but Voldemort kicked her away as though she were filthier than the lowest of house elves. "Please…we can get it back!"

"You've made enough mistakes as it is," Voldemort spat furiously. "I will not give you any further assignments. Your usefulness has…_run its course_."

Lilu and Abraxas' eyes widened in utmost terror. "My Lord…we can still help…please, you must give us another chance…"

Voldemort's shrill laughter rang throughout the entire manor. "_Another chance?_ Lord Voldemort is not as merciful as you so falsely believe…you must pay the price for your failures."

Abraxas pulled out his wand in protest, but no spell would come to his lips. His wife didn't even look up to see what was coming. Voldemort slowly pulled out his own yew wand as well and wordlessly pointed it at the horror-struck Malfoys.

"_Avada Kedavra!_"

There was a flash of green light, and Abraxas and Lilu Malfoy moved no more.

* * *

**A/N: **Was that okay? The scene between Bellatrix and Dumbledore was the hardest for me (I wanted to show that while she is disrespectful towards authority, she's still smart enough to avoid expulsion). As much as I love Bellatrix, the story will go back to mainly Lily, Severus & friends after this chapter.

Detail overload for Voldemort. I know. I just wanted to make a grand entrance for him, since he plays a rather big role in this story later on.

I know I sound like a broken record, but reviews are (and always will be) highly appreciated :)


	14. Summer

**A/N: **_I'm sorry this took so long!! Also, I really do enjoy reading what you all have to say about each chapter, so I promise I'll respond to all reviews for this chapter (I figured you'd rather me update sooner rather than spend more time replying and having a later update). Feel free to send a Cruciatus Curse my way if I'm ever this late again ;)_

* * *

"So…are you sure you don't know who did it?"

"No…that's the strangest thing…I mean, nobody wakes up covered in blood for no apparent reason, right?"

Laika grimaced and patted Lily on the shoulder. "I suppose not. But you're fine now, at least."

Lily nodded and smiled cheerfully as she, Laika, and Narcissa entered the Great Hall together. It was a lovely morning, judging from the sparkling blue sky depicted on the enchanted ceiling above them. Severus waved excitedly to Lily as they walked past the Gryffindor table, making her blush as her friends laughed at him.

Lily could hardly believe it was only three days ago that she woke up to find her neck oozing blood everywhere. It had been a rather horrifying experience, and she was glad it was over. Not only did she feel better physically, but mentally as well. She was happier than ever, and Severus was talking to her again. Life was good.

Just as she reached over for some toast, she jumped and knocked over her orange juice at the sound of a man's low voice coming from behind her. Shockingly, it was Professor Dumbledore. But of all people, why was _he_ here? Talking to _them_?

Narcissa was staring quizzically as well, but apparently Dumbledore had come over to speak with Laika…alone. Ignoring the two girls' stares on either side of Laika, he whispered something in her ear and silently beckoned her to come with him. Shrugging to her friends, Laika got up and followed him, not bothering to hide the irritated look on her face. Dumbledore glanced back at Narcissa and Lily, smiling grimly and shaking his head, as though warning them not to ask their friends any questions regarding this little meeting. _Odd…_

This did not go unnoticed by the rest of the houses: everyone suddenly fell silent and strained their ears for snippets of conversation. What a lot of eavesdroppers. After all, it was quite unusual for the headmaster to speak with students privately unless they were in huge trouble. And, given the high reputation of the Malfoy family name, Laika's possible punishment would make for some juicy gossip.

Two minutes later, there was a terrible wail. It sounded more like a wounded animal than a girl, and it was more bone chilling than anything they had heard before…including those noises that occasionally erupted from the girls' bathroom on the first floor.

Automatically recognizing it as Laika's scream (and the rather loud crying that followed), Lily and Narcissa shot worried looks at each other. What could possibly have upset their friend so much?

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily noticed Professor Slughorn and Professor McGonagall quickly running towards the corridor through which Dumbledore had exited with Laika. If two professors plus the headmaster had to get involved, this was _not_ good news.

The Slytherin table was quiet for a long time, while the other three tables had taken to excitedly gossiping amongst themselves about what had happened. Slytherins didn't exactly have a respectable standing at Hogwarts, and whenever something went wrong with a member in the house, other houses quickly assumed the worst. Lily overheard bits and pieces from the Hufflepuff table; some of the younger kids were betting on whether or not Laika had been expelled for using Dark Magic. Lily knew this couldn't possibly be the case, though. They were only first years; surely Laika didn't know anything as advanced as Dark Magic yet?

_Well, Sev does, _Lily remembered with a jolt. Maybe it _was_ Dark Magic then? She didn't know, but she figured it would be best to wait a while before asking Laika. It had been over ten minutes since Dumbledore escorted her away, and her screams were still echoing throughout the halls…

**xXxXxXxXx**

A week later, the young witches and wizards were on the Hogwarts Express, heading home for the summer. Lily could hardly believe that an entire school year had already gone by, though perhaps it felt shorter due to the large gaps in her memory. She remembered the material, but for some reason she couldn't remember the lessons themselves. It was almost as though her newfound knowledge was just inserted into her head and she never consciously learned any of it.

"You know why she blames Dumbledore, don't you?"

Lily sighed exasperatedly. "Oh Sev, not _this_ again!"

Severus bristled. "But I'm serious—"

"No _I'm_ 'serious,'" Sirius cut in, roaring with laughter at his own stupid joke until he noticed Lily scowling at him. It had been Severus' idea to let these three dunderheads— well, Lupin not so much— sit in their compartment, and Lily wasn't the least bit pleased by this. Narcissa had rejected her invitation to join their compartment as soon as she found out that Sirius was in there, and instead went to join Lucius and his friends. Lily had wanted to go with her, but she didn't want to leave Severus either. Thus, she was forced to remain behind and suffer through Potter and Black's idiotic jokes and irritating interruptions.

Shooting a death glare towards the two troublemakers across from her, Lily continued: "Sev, you should really be more sensitive. I mean," she dropped her voice to a low whisper, "she lost _both_ of her parents. Can you even begin to imagine what that must be like?"

Severus considered this for a moment. "Honestly, I'd be happy to lose _him_—"

"That's not the point," Lily snapped. "Laika was close to her parents, okay? Quit trying to make it seem like it's her fault."

"But—"

"Severus!"

Severus backed off at Lily's usage of his full name, something she did only when she was really annoyed with him. She could be so frustrating sometimes. While it was indeed a tragic thing to lose one's parents, why couldn't Lily see that Malfoy was using Dumbledore as a scapegoat?

Severus was very hesitant to believe Lucius Malfoy's story— retold to him by Lily— that the Ministry had sent the Aurors to murder the elder Malfoys. Yes, the Ministry definitely had a track record of past corruption, but the idea that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was set on weeding out the 'good' Ministry workers— those who apparently were rebelling against the wrongful deeds that the Ministry was trying to hush up— seemed highly unlikely.

Quite frankly, he regarded anything the Malfoys told Lily with great suspicion, which drove Lily crazy. She was naturally inclined to trust everyone; a flaw Severus knew she may one day regret. As such, she had believed every word Lucius had told her, and she understood wholeheartedly when he explained that Laika did not wish to talk about this devastating family tragedy. Laika immediately left Hogwarts upon hearing this awful news, though she did manage to say a quick goodbye for her friends. When Lily offered her comforting words, Laika brushed them off and darkly muttered how Dumbledore would get what he deserved later on. Lily was puzzled by this, but she inwardly tied what Lucius said to this in order to convince herself that both were telling her the truth. Severus knew she was deceiving herself, but whenever he tried to get her to listen to logic, she snapped at him to feel more sympathetic for the Malfoys. Her ears simply refused to listen to any possibilities that someone might be lying to her, even if Severus' arguments that Dumbledore wasn't connected to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in any way were legitimate.

What was equally mystifying was the fact that they never did hear what became of the locket. Remembering the conversation he and James had overheard between the Malfoys, Severus told Lily it belonged to them. Contrary to what he was expecting her to say, Lily told him she hoped they got it back safely, completely oblivious to the possibility that they nearly killed her with it.

It must have been Severus' unique ability to put two and two together that got him wondering if the locket, Lily's mental wreckage and neck injury, and Black's suspension were all connected. After all, Lucius had mentioned something about 'Bella' helping his younger sister get the locket…why, it really _did_ make sense when he though of it this way! If only Lily would quit trying to stand up for her friends' inner goodness all the time…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"You didn't write us much, Lily dear," Mrs. Evans said once they were in the car half an hour after leaving King's Cross. The Evans had so graciously offered to drive Severus home; Lily inwardly breathed a sigh of relief that Petunia hadn't come along, otherwise, she would have made Sev ride in the trunk.

Lily sighed. "Mum, Petunia hates owls…I'll write more next year though…I promise."

"So…did you two enjoy your year at Hogwarts?" Mr. Evans asked, his eyes watching them carefully from the rear-view mirror. Lily knew he was hoping to see her and Sev shooting multicoloured spells from their wands and pulling rabbits out of top hats, but he was going to be sorely disappointed.

Knowing that Severus was often too embarrassed to talk around people he didn't know very well, Lily answered for the both of them: "It was great. Well…we're not in the same houses, but—"

"Houses?" Mrs. Evans inquired, still knowing very little about the world her youngest daughter was now a part of.

"Yes…we're Sorted into one of four houses: there's Slytherin— that's me— Gryffindor— that's Sev— and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff."

"So you're not all together?" Mr. Evans cut in, frowning slightly. "Isn't that a bit like segregation?"

Lily frowned as well. "Well, I dunno…but anyways, we made lots of new friends and the teachers are pretty good, but the Defense teacher left to choreograph the dances for the mascots of the Irish Quidditch team…she was a bit strange, so I wasn't really sad to see her go, to be honest…but yeah, it was a great year."

_Not to mention you nearly killing James, you were possessed by a cursed necklace for a few months, and your friend's parents being murdered,_ Severus added silently.

"So can I expect you to start cleaning the house for me?" Mrs. Evans joked, though Lily certainly didn't take it as one.

"Oh no, Mum," Lily replied seriously. "We're banned from practicing any magic over the summer, though we do have lots of reading to do and essays to write. Unlike Potter and Black, Sev and I actually paid attention this year, so it shouldn't be too difficult."

Mr. Evans chuckled. "Well it sounds like you've been working hard."

Lily beamed. "Very much so. Sev is the best though. He was named the best Potions and Defense student in our year."

Severus' cheeks turned slightly pink under Lily's praise; her parents looked extremely impressed, even though they had little to no idea what Potions and Defense were anyways. "I'm not that good," he mumbled modestly, though he managed a small smile as Lily gave him a playful shove.

"Well!" Mrs. Evans said excitedly. "Why don't you stay for dinner, Severus? To celebrate the completion of your first year?"

Severus' eyes widened. "Oh…erm, that'd be nice…thank you…"

He shot Lily a nervous glance, and she knew exactly what he was thinking: how would Petunia react to this?

Lily hated living in constant fear of her sister's opinions, but she couldn't help herself. She wanted to please everyone, and she thought quite highly of her sister, so Petunia's opinions could not be easily ignored. Still, Severus' friendship was more important— something she vowed to never relinquish for as long as she lived— so she would have to weather the storm when it came.

Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the Evans' cosy home at the top of the hill, overlooking Spinner's End down below. The front yard was covered in hundreds of different flowers— petunias and lilies being the greatest in number, of course.

Severus figured this would always feel more like home to him than Spinner's End ever could; while his home was dark and depressing, this place was warm and welcoming. Well, not _quite_ so welcoming when a certain teenage girl's shocked face poked out from the front door. Unsurprisingly, her glare instantly settled on Severus. He wanted to glare right back at her horsey face, but instead settled for a mild sneer; after all, he was a guest and had to act somewhat decently towards that horrible girl.

"Hi Tuney!" Lily exclaimed, running towards her sister to give her a hug, but falling short as Petunia held up a hand to stop her.

"Please do not calm me that," Petunia snapped airily, sounding more pompous than usual. Also, for some reason, she was wearing her favourite lavender dress…the one she usually set aside for _special_ _occasions_. Her hair was meticulously braided and if it weren't for the disgusted expression on her face, she might have looked quite lovely. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"He's staying for dinner," Lily replied defiantly. "Mum and Dad invited him."

"_NO!_" Petunia screeched, looking between Severus and Lily as though this was some kind of sick joke. The two simply stared back at her; after a while, she realized this was really true and looked back up at her parents in desperation.

"Can't he come some other night?" Petunia pleaded, on the verge of tears. Lily and Severus were puzzled, though they didn't say anything. Lily had seen her sister lose control of her emotions before, but never had she looked so distraught over something so silly. Severus was only staying for dinner, for Merlin's sake…they weren't adopting him or anything crazy like that!

Mrs. Evans sighed exasperatedly. "Petunia, it's only fair if Lily gets to have a friend over as well…"

"But _tonight?!_" Petunia shrieked. "Why _tonight?!_"

"Because _we_ invited him, therefore it would be nice if you could act your age and be kind to our guest," Mr. Evans said firmly. Petunia looked stricken; for one moment, it seemed as though she was going to lash out; instead, she burst into tears and ran inside the house, slamming the door behind her.

"What's wrong with her?" Lily asked her mother, who rolled her eyes and smiled sadly.

"Your sister's new boyfriend will also be joining us…but that is no excuse for the way she is treating you, Severus."

Lily and Severus darted furtive glances of surprise at each other. Petunia Evans…had a _boyfriend_? She was fourteen, but Lily figured her nasty temperament would always kill all her chances at dating the opposite sex. No wonder she was horrified to see Severus. Alone, Lily wasn't much of a threat to the peaceful Muggle atmosphere in the Evans' home. With another 'freak,' however, she would be more inclined to talk about magic and Hogwarts. Having to admit that her sister was a witch in front of her boyfriend would undoubtedly be a nightmare for Petunia…

"What's his name?" Lily asked curiously as they began walking inside.

"Daniel Granger."

**xXxXxXxXx**

There they were. The bodies of Abraxas and Lilu Malfoy, each in a separate casket, staring up at the world with their lifeless, blank expressions, unable to feel the warmth of the sunlight that glowed down upon their pale faces.

Friends, family, and colleagues had come from all over to witness this sad day for the Malfoy family. Somehow, none of the people looked particularly devastated by this loss; instead, it seemed as though they only came to pay their respects to the Malfoys. Otherwise, it was pretty clear that the majority of attendees would have skipped out on this over extravagant funeral ceremony. The only truly mournful person in the crowd was Laika. Being just twelve years old, she had taken their deaths particularly hard; it didn't help that neither she nor her brother knew the real reason why or how they had died.

Bellatrix Black was present. Of course she felt absolutely no remorse for her role in this, but had shown up to cover up her tracks nonetheless. Looking down at their dead faces, she felt a horrendously wicked twinge of joy bursting from her chest. Here were the keys to her future. She did not view them as human beings, but as integral keys that would unlock her destiny as one of the greatest supporters the Dark Lord has ever known. All she had to do was prove herself, and their unmoving corpses were solid proof that Dark Lord had followed her advice. She, a sixteen year old girl, had helped the Dark Lord to snuff out two of his most traitorous servants. It was a wondrous feeling.

In fact, the more she dwelled upon her fascination with death, the more enthralled she became. She could not help but admire the Dark Lord's handiwork. Not a scratch or burn mark in sight. Not one tiniest sign of physical damage anywhere; if it weren't for the lack of pulse— Bellatrix felt no shame in feeling around for one on each of the corpses— and absence of breathing, she almost would have mistaken them to be asleep.

Bellatrix had always mocked those who feared death. Not one thought of how it would feel to actually experience death ever went through her mind, but she quite enjoyed imaging herself by the Dark Lord's side, mastering the precise and beautiful art of the _Avada Kedavra._

"Hello Bellatrix," Lucius formally greeted her an hour or so after the ceremony had ended.

She nodded stiffly in return, feeling agitated that he had interrupted her thoughts. Now that the Malfoys were out of the way, it was up to her to weave her way into the ranks of the Death Eaters. Without them to around to distract the Dark Lord and her new reputation as a valuable spy, Bellatrix knew that she was well on her way to achieving more beyond her wildest dreams.

The two silently stared out at the courtyard for quite some time, until the sun had finally set and the last of the stragglers had departed. Laika was off by herself somewhere, probably still crying her brains out, and Narcissa was waiting quietly for Bellatrix to come home with her. Lucius wished to speak with her first, however…

"It appears that your sister is growing bored of our hospitality, so I will make this quick," Lucius said, grabbing Bellatrix's left hand as she tried to run past him. She had been waiting a long time for Lucius to go away so she could escape, but after a while, it was apparent that she would have to make the first move. Behind them, Narcissa flushed a furious shade of pink at Lucius' harsh words, but didn't move from her chair near the fire.

Bellatrix froze and looked down to where Lucius was gripping her arm. Was it on purpose or by mere coincidence that he had grabbed her _left_ arm?

His calm gray eyes met her black ones for a moment; she didn't know what he was going to do or say, but a queasy feeling rumbled somewhere deep within her black heart. Did he know something he shouldn't…?

_He got what he deserved,_ Bellatrix thought unsympathetically. _I have no reason to fear now…_

Slowly, his gentle hands rolled up the sleeve of her midnight-black dress, searching for any form of imprint on her ghastly pale arm. His heart beat quickly as he reached the forearm; he was so certain…she _must_ have been branded, there was no possible way she couldn't have been…

But her arm was free of any mark. He didn't understand. If what he had heard was true, then surely…

"Looking for something?" Bellatrix asked coldly, pulling her arm out of his grasp.

"I've heard rumours," he whispered, not taking his eyes off her for one second. "The rumours, dear Bella…I'd like to confirm them for myself."

"Oh, did you find anything?" Bellatrix's tone was sardonic, though the slightly hysterical edge would have terrified even a brave Gryffindor.

Lucius paused. This was clearly not working, so he tried another tactic: "You know I did not love my parents, Bellatrix…my only wish is to know what killed them and I will prod no further."

Bellatrix laughed cruelly. "Bargaining, are we Lucius? Isn't that a little low, even for you?"

Lucius scowled. "I _know_ it was you, Bella…you cannot deny truth. I can see Death lurking behind your eyes."

Bellatrix was rather delighted by this prospect, though she easily kept this rush of pride hidden from Lucius. "Believe what you want, Lucius. I could hardly care less of what you think of me."

If Bellatrix had been less adept at verbal manipulations such as this, and Lucius had pondered this statement a while longer, he would have seen her lack of denial as a solid confession for aiding in the murders of his parents. However, as it was, Bellatrix had come out on top, and without another word, she walked into the green flames with her sister, quietly contemplating how much longer it would be before the fateful day when she had the Dark Mark burned into her skin…

* * *

**A/N: **_As far as I can tell from my summary plans, this is the last we'll see of Bellatrix for a while. Next chapter: mostly summer fun (taking a very short break from all the drama). I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and don't hesitate to leave any comments you might have ;)_


	15. Hairy

**A/N: **_Thanks again for all your reviews! I'm so excited to see new readers enjoying the story, in addition to my wonderful 'veteran' readers ;)_

_This chapter will seem fillerish, but I swear most of it is more relevant than you know. I happen to use foreshadowing quite a lot in my writing, and this chapter is no exception. Enjoy~_

* * *

"—as I was saying, we just finished the _Dusk_ series by American author Stefanie Mayer in my Literature class. They were quite possibly the most despicable pieces of fiction I've ever been forced to read!"

"Oh it must have been terrible for you!" Petunia cooed sympathetically to her new boyfriend, completely oblivious to the snorts and giggles that occasionally erupted from her sister's side of the table.

Daniel set down his fork and gazed adoringly into Petunia's eyes the way a husband would to his wife; not a fifteen year old boyfriend to his slightly-younger girlfriend. "I know, my dear. I tend to prefer modern European literature, myself. You know what I love the most though?"

"What?" Petunia asked breathlessly.

"_Romeo and Juliet_."

Lily gagged. This definitely had to be one of the most disturbing meals she had ever been at; she felt sorry for Severus, whom had been forced to suffer along with her. For Merlin's sake, her sister was _fourteen!_ Why did it seem as though Petunia had just added five years to her age?

The answer was obvious, of course: Daniel Granger. The bushy brown-haired boy had seemed alright when she had first met him, but once they got him talking, he was impossible to shut up. As shocking as it was, he had more arrogance than James Potter, and he spoke endlessly of his academic and literary accomplishments.

"Bloody know-it-all," Severus muttered under his breath, making Lily giggle until she noticed her sister giving her the 'warning look.'

Just before Petunia had introduced Lily and Severus to him, she had cornered them in the downstairs bathroom, threatening to inflict horrible things upon them at the slightest mention or display of their "freak theatrics."

"_Ooooh_…you mean _magic?_" Severus had asked slyly, making Petunia turn scarlet and scream that was exactly what she meant. Lily and Severus didn't bother telling her they couldn't do magic over the summer; leaving her to figure that out for herself was much more entertaining.

After an excruciatingly long hour of listening to Petunia gushing over Daniel's achievements, Lily and Severus had had enough. They were bored to tears, but Lily's parents would not excuse them from the table, saying that it would be impolite to leave their newest guest. Lily wondered if they were only saying that so they wouldn't have to suffer alone, but she still did as she was told. That didn't mean she was going to keep quiet any more, though…

"Hey Sev," she said very loudly, cutting into Daniel's boasting. "Can you pass me the _potion_?"

Severus stared quizzically at her, not quite understanding what she was getting at. "The _what?_"

Lily laughed obnoxiously. "Oh silly me! I suppose I'm still used to school. I meant the _tea._"

"Where do you two go to school?" Daniel inquired, eyebrow raised slightly. Lily wasn't sure if he had heard her say "potion," but judging by the look on Severus' face, he had caught on by now.

"It's not important!" Petunia said shrilly, her face red with fury as she shot a death glare towards Lily. If her sister said _one word_ about that school for freaks, she would kill her…

"Do you attend Smeltings? Finest school in Britain, isn't that right Petunia?"

"Yestheygothereitiscertainlythebest," Petunia said all at once. They were getting dangerously close to the subject of _the place_ and she could only hope that Lily remembered her threats and went along with it.

"I disagree," Severus replied quietly, staring down at his food as he spoke.

Daniel gawked at him as though he hadn't even noticed him until now. Undoubtedly Severus' strange Muggle clothing was what intrigued him the most; he himself was wearing a neatly pressed navy polo with tan slacks that made him look very much like a professional golfer.

"You what?"

"I said 'I disagree.' Smeltings isn't the finest school by any means."

"Well!" Daniel bristled, looking quite irritated from having a little nerd in rumpled clothing speaking to him in this manner. "What school could possibly be better, then, hmm?"

Severus noticed Lily watching him out of the corner of his eyes. She had a scared look on her face; even she wouldn't have dared to press as far as he had, no matter how bored she was.

"Well," Severus said thoughtfully, "I would have to say—"

"OI!" Lily shrieked in pain and flipped backwards out of her chair. Severus jumped to his feet, wondering what in the world had just happened. Lily was lying on the ground in agony, clutching her shin for some reason. As soon as she glared back up at the table, Petunia and Daniel's plates did a very peculiar thing: they flew up and, with quite a bit of uneaten food still on them, flew at their faces. Lily hadn't even realized what she was doing; it was accidental magic. Unbelievable. On her first night back from Hogwarts, she had already performed magic again.

Severus couldn't say he didn't enjoy the mortified expression on Petunia's face after the plates clattered to the floor, leaving half her meal on her face. Some mashed potatoes in her hair, some cold peas up her nostrils, a piece of half-eaten chicken on her head…and to top it all of, she had ugly brown gravy streaming down her entire face. He quickly helped Lily to her feet, and she too, relished the scene with revengeful pleasure. Daniel couldn't figure out what had happened, and for once, he was at a loss for words.

Severus understood that Petunia had tried kicking him underneath the table to stop him from uttering "Hogwarts"— not that he was going to, since that would be a severe breach of the International Statute of Secrecy— but instead, she had misaimed and ended up kicking Lily instead. Petunia had always been good at football, so it was unsurprising to see Lily in so much pain.

"Uh…thanks for the food," Daniel said at last, trying to jostle his way through the dining room and towards the front door. He hadn't bothered wiping the food off his face; he just wanted to get out of there as soon as he possibly could. Mr. and Mrs. Evans did nothing to stop him— partly because they were secretly glad to see him go, and partly because they were wondering if Lily or Severus had anything to do with what had just occurred.

"Daniel wait!" Petunia wailed, running after him. He paused and waited for her, though his smile was very strained.

"I need to get home, Petunia. My mum will be wondering what's been keeping me."

"But Daniel!" Petunia pouted, but it was no use: without even the slightest goodbye, he departed.

Severus and Lily looked at each other nervously. While the evening had been delightfully hilarious after all, there would be hell to pay later…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"I thought you said it didn't matter."

Severus looked up. Lily had stopped swinging a while ago, and was now looking at him with a pensive expression on her face. He was just sitting in the sand, content to do nothing but ponder the mysteries of the world until Lily wanted to talk. It looked like that time had come.

"What didn't matter?"

"Being Muggleborn," Lily replied quietly.

"Oh…"

Severus concentrated on the sand once more, not wanting to explain the intricacies of the minds of the pureblood idealists that existed mainly in the house Lily had been Sorted into. Of course it mattered if you were Muggleborn. He had only lied to her so she wouldn't worry so much. He couldn't begin to describe how horrible he felt…telling her she'd better be in Slytherin, only to see himself end up in the rival house instead. Irony was cruel.

Lily got off of the swing and sat in the sand next to him, waiting for a response. Severus was never good at explaining things, however; especially when it was his best friend whose feelings he could possibly hurt. He remembered the day he told Lily she was a witch…he never wanted to see that hateful expression directed towards him ever again.

"Why did you want me to be in Slytherin?" she prodded him further.

Severus unwillingly looked up. He could see tears swimming in those green eyes. _Damn it…_

"I…well…I dunno," he admitted awkwardly. He didn't really understand why he had ever wanted to be in Slytherin in the first place. As much as he fought McGonagall those first few days, he actually grew fond of Gryffindor as the year passed— even if Sirius and James were royal gits most of the time. While they weren't exactly "best friends forever" yet, they had still formed a decent friendship, however dysfunctional it was at times. Which was more than what he could say for Lily.

Severus would place more trust in a furious hippogriff than either of the Malfoys, and Narcissa Black wasn't much better. After all, her older sister was pretty much insane, judging from what Severus had heard from the older Gryffindors. The sibling connection alone made Severus wary of Narcissa.

Other than those two, she had no friends in Slytherin. Oh, why couldn't she have just been in Gryffindor too?

"Why do you ask?"

Now it was Lily's turn to look away. "I'm…scared," she whispered ashamedly. "I know I shouldn't be, but Sev…they're awful to that Muggleborn, Melika— no, not Narcissa or Laika," Lily added quickly as she noticed the suspicious look on her friend's face. "But you should have seen the way the older Slytherins treat her…it's…it's…its just horrible! I mean, she doesn't do anything bad as far as I know, but still…what if…"

"You're afraid they're going to find out?" Severus asked quietly. Tears fell from Lily's eyes as she nodded silently.

"It was such a terrible thing to do, I know…I wish I didn't…but I couldn't help it. I just want to fit in."

Severus knew the feeling all too well. After he realized that he was going to be stuck in Gryffindor for the rest of his school years, he had constantly fretted whether he would ever be a true Gryffindor. Lily was the first and only friend he had ever had at that point; now he had Remus, James, and Sirius in addition to Lily. It was weird having friends, but it was a good feeling. The trouble was that Lily would never truly fit in with the Slytherins if she was completely honest with them. Old biases died hard, and she had suffered enough this past year. Revealing her little secret would not improve her standing in the house, and it would probably lose her two of the three friends she had. But how much longer would she be able to continue living this lie?

It must have been quite a shocker for Lily not to have a lot of friends surrounding her anymore; after all, back in Muggle school, she was always the centre of attention. She had dozens of friends to confide in and gossip with there; but at Hogwarts, she had a grand total of three. Two of them shouldn't even count as friends in Severus' opinion.

"Will I get in trouble for last night?" she asked him out of the blue, clearly wanting to change the subject.

Severus shook his head. "Usually they won't get you for something as minor as that…you probably shouldn't have done that anyways, but I'll admit that's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time."

"I think I even heard you laugh."

"I did not!" he shot back defiantly. Severus Snape did _not_ laugh.

"What's wrong with laughing?" Lily teased him. She knew him too well. He really hadn't laughed last night, but maybe he would…someday. Who knew? Perhaps Potter and Black could have a positive impact on him after all…

**xXxXxXxXx**

The summer passed by rather slowly for Lily and Severus. They were more excited about going back to school than the free time that summer offered; something most normal kids would have thought as strange.

Daniel ended up getting together with Petunia again a week after the incident, much to their surprise. Petunia was deliriously happy when he did, though she was careful to keep him away from Lily and Severus at all times. This was fine with them, because it meant that they could talk freely about Hogwarts and magic and their summer homework without having Petunia explode into a temper tantrum.

Still, as much as Lily loved Hogwarts and magic, she wouldn't trade anything in the world for the long walks she and Severus would go on every day around the local park. Oftentimes, neither of them spoke for most of the walk, but instead enjoyed the nice weather and pleasant scenery around them. After a couple months of sheer misery, it was great being able to feel so peaceful again.

Of course, "peaceful" didn't always mean boring. Towards the end of July, James had owled Severus a small box of joke shop items, writing: _Just in case Evans bores you too much. _

Lily had been none too pleased by this— so what if she was obsessed with studying and following the rules? That didn't mean she was boring to be around, was it?

Severus had quickly assured her that he enjoyed her company, and even went as far as writing back to James, telling him that he should be nicer to Lily.

The box of prank items were put to good use: Severus restricted Lily from doing anything to her sister…unless she caught her snogging Daniel. Then she had his full permission to unleash the entire assortment of goodies James had sent.

Once they had gone through every last item— and Petunia's constant screaming had nearly rendered them deaf— it was back to the simple walks around the park. Being straight-O students, both of them had finished all of their summer homework within the first two weeks of June. It was almost sad to think they had no studying left until the next year began, though Severus managed to find some of his mother's old books for them to read over together when they grew tired of walking.

On the last day of July, Lily and Severus were sitting under their favourite tree in the park, reading a book about Disillusionment Charms. It was one of the last books from Eileen Snape's humble collection that they hadn't read yet, and although it was quite old, Lily found it fascinating.

"So it's really possible to be invisible?"

"Well, sort of…look at this picture here…it's temporary, see—"

"How do you know when it's going to fade then? That'd be scary to be in a bad situation and have it wear off, wouldn't it?"

"Well, you can try to predict when it's going to…it'd actually just be easier having an Invisibility Cloak."

"Like the ones they sell for those ridiculous prices at Borgin and Burkes?"

Severus was startled by this, and almost dropped the book in shock. "Since when have you been inside _that place?_"

"Never mind that," Lily rushed. "Do the cloaks last much longer than the actual charms?"

"Not by much…though James' cloak has lasted a lot longer than most of the ones in stores have…"

"Potter's got one too?"

"The Potters are filthy rich."

"Well obviously…you can see it just from the way he— Sev? What's that?"

Her sudden change of subject threw Severus for a loop. Looking up, he saw something small and all-black walking towards them from the playground. It had four oversized paws, long crooked whiskers and it was extremely furry. _Joy._

"Sev, I think it's a kitten!" Lily cried excitedly, leaping to her feet and chasing after it. Unfortunately, this action frightened the poor thing, and he darted towards the bushes as quickly as its wobbly little legs could carry him. Lily stopped at once, feeling bad for scaring the helpless creature. She carefully got down on her knees and called for the kitten to come closer to her, but it wouldn't budge. His yellowish-green eyes watched her warily, and he hid his face behind his tail as though this would protect him from the rambunctious preteen.

"Come on Sev, help me get the kitty…here kitty, kitty…I won't hurt you…I just want to pet you…"

Severus rolled his eyes. Leave it to Lily to fuss over some stupid cat.

"Come here…_please_? I just want to pet you, that's all…come on, kitty, kitty…Sev, it's not coming," Lily pouted as the kitten simply stared at her from its position ten feet away.

"Just leave it then."

"No! Poor thing can't find its mum or its owner…we have to help it, Sev," Lily begged with a manipulative pleading glint in her eyes.

"We? No," Severus replied flatly. "_You_ help it."

"But Sev! Look, he's all alone…poor thing…"

"Then you save the damn cat."

"But he won't come to me. Can you please call him? Please Sev?"

Severus sighed. He hated when Lily did this, but he couldn't help himself: he wanted his friend to be happy, so he figured he'd at least try.

"Come here you mangy piece of filth."

"_Severus!_"

"What? You didn't ask me to call it _nicely_," he said with a mischievous smirk on his face.

"You're horrible."

"Whatever you say."

"Oh come on, Sev, can you at least try and pick it up?"

Severus was getting really irritated at this point, and almost yelled at her that neither of them needed a cat in their lives at the moment, but he restrained himself from doing so. Closing his book, he slowly and unwillingly got to his feet and walked towards the kitten. He didn't return Lily's grateful smile as he walked past her, and when he was within three feet of the trembling animal, he sat down on the grass.

The kitten stood there, frozen in place for quite some time, just staring at Severus as though it couldn't figure out if he was scary or not.

"Hold out your hand," Lily prodded him, and Severus reluctantly followed her orders. After several seconds of just holding his empty hand out, the kitten hesitantly moved towards him.

_Damn kitten…if we were at Hogwarts I would have hexed the bloody thing and given its pelt to Sirius as a Christmas gift. _

Surprisingly, the kitten actually marched all the way up to Severus. It nuzzled and smelled his hand for a few moments, then sat and stared up at him with its huge green eyes, as though waiting for something. He glanced back at Lily for help, but she shrugged. She had never owned any pets before, and she knew little to nothing about animal behaviour.

Tentatively, Severus stroked the top of the kitten's shiny black head three times, then allowed his hand to retreat.

With a high-pitched _meow_, the kitten jumped at Severus, much to his displeasure. It was much more exuberant and agile than he had initially believed it to be, and it had playfully clawed its way up to his shoulders before he could even attempt to control it. It took some effort to pry the kitten's claws off of his shirt, but once it was off, Severus did not put it back on the ground. Instead, he held it out for Lily to take away, but she shook her head.

"What are you going to name him?" she asked softly.

"What am I…_what?!_ I'm not keeping this...this..._thing_!"

"It's called a 'cat.' And I think it likes you," Lily cooed, tickling the kitten's chin as it meowed with delight.

"It's _your_ cat."

Lily smirked. "No it's not. Tuney's allergic to them. Looks like you have to keep it."

"No! What if its owner is around here somewhere?"

"Then they're not getting this lovely little kitty back. They obviously don't love it very much."

"_I _don't love it at all!"

"Not _yet_," Lily replied sweetly. "So what are you going to name it?"

Severus scowled. "Lily, I'm not keeping him. We're not allowed to have pets, remember?"

"_Actually_ Hogwarts allows cats. You know, I think he looks like an Arnold…or Fred?"

"Those are lousy names," Severus mumbled, disliking the fact that the cat had just fallen asleep in his hands.

Lily beamed. "So you _are_ keeping it?"

"What are you talking about? I never said anything of the sort!"

"Okay, so what _is_ a good name then?" she asked sardonically, ignoring his previous protest.

Severus glared at the cat. Of course he wouldn't keep it. He hated animals, and there would probably be dozens of new first years that would like to own a sickening cute thing like this. Yes, he could definitely get rid of it at Hogwarts. If not, he'd feed it to the gamekeeper's dog.

"I dunno…he's terribly ugly…and chubby…and, ugh—" Severus spat a few cat hairs out of his mouth. "— hairy…"

"That's a good name!" Lily exclaimed.

"What?"

"Hairy! How about that, kitty? Is 'Hairy' a good name for you?"

Severus rolled his eyes. Lily had really lost it this time. She was talking to an _animal_ that clearly could not understand a word she was saying. What happened to the studious, logical Lily he knew?

The cat meowed loudly and Lily could have sworn it smiled.

"Hairy it is then."

* * *

**A/N: **_In case you haven't noticed yet…I'm not a Twilight fan. Oh, and I'm American so I figured it'd be okay to say that European literature is better that ours (in my opinion, of course)._

_As for Daniel's characterization: I always thought that Hermione had one arrogant parent, and another equally-intelligent but more modest parent (to balance her somewhat). She was kind of a git in PS/SS after all, even if she didn't mean to. And boys tend to grow out of it anyways (as James Potter supposedly did in canon). And I'm pretty sure Smeltings is an all-boys school (I haven't read SS for a while), but for the sake of the story, it's coed._

_I'm sorry, but I could not help myself with Hairy…it's too cute for me to cut out of the story, and he is actually somewhat important to the plot later on…_

_Next chapter: Diagon Alley (lots of fun there!) and Voldy's back..._

_Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, and I strongly encourage any comments, including constructive criticism! (this chapter was supposed to be a filler, by the way…not exactly my finest writing). Almost to 100 reviews! :)_


	16. Diagon Alley

**A/N: **_Thank you to everyone who reviewed, and I hope you all enjoy this chapter (no filler!)~_

* * *

_Dear Lily, _

_Are you feeling well? You haven't written at all since we left Hogwarts. Anyway, as you know, we need to go shopping for our school items sometime soon, and I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to Diagon Alley next week. You can ask Snape if he would like to come as well— unfortunately, Sirius is coming too, but we won't have to walk around with him if he has someone else to distract him— and I'd love to introduce you to my little cousin, Regulus. He's a first year now, and I'm delighted to say he won't disgrace the family name as Sirius already has. If you don't mind, he'd rather come along with us than Sirius (those two quarrel more than Andromeda and Bella!). Anyway, I hope your summer has been spectacular, and I look forward to hearing from you._

_-Narcissa_

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Are you sure you don't want me going with you?"

"Sev, for the last time, I'll be _fine,_" said Lily exasperatedly.

They were finally in Diagon Alley; it was just two days before the Hogwarts Express departed and the school year would begin, much to their excitement. Once Lily had responded that she and Severus would definitely be coming, Narcissa had sent her another reply, telling Lily to meet her and her cousin in Knockturn Alley. Severus was going to meet up with Sirius and James in Quality Quidditch Supplies— apparently James was under the impression that he was going to make Gryffindor's team this year— but he was extremely hesitant to let his friend wander off into Knockturn Alley by herself. He didn't trust the shops down there, nor did he trust the people who browsed through there. His mother had taken him there one time, when he was a young boy, and he had but one terrible memory of a witch poisoning him when Eileen took her eyes off of him for just two seconds. After he returned home from a short stint in St. Mungo's, he was determined never to go near that place again. Unfortunately for Lily, he didn't want her going down there either. He could only imagine the horrible things that would happen to a second year girl wandering around by herself…

"Okay?"

Biting his lower lip, Severus mumbled his goodbye and watched fretfully as his innocent young friend ran off into the hoards of Dark witches and wizards that were striding away from Knockturn Alley. He desperately wanted to run after her and ensure that she arrived there safely, but he didn't want to irritate her with his overprotective instincts either. Besides he was supposed to have met up with his friends twenty minutes ago.

Running along the unusually quiet streets of Diagon Alley, he soon reached the entrance to Quality Quidditch Supplies. He wasn't much of a Quidditch player himself, but he certainly enjoyed a good match as much as the next wizard. Leaving his trunk and Hairy's cage next to the entrance, he made his way for the door.

He didn't even see what hit him. The second he opened the door, something blurry flew at him, and collided directly with his face. It hit him so hard that he soon found himself lying on his back ten or so strides from the entrance with something warm and sticky streaming down his face. If he hadn't blacked out for a moment, he would have seen who the laughing boy was. Another boy with a deeper laugh came out the door, shouting "Oi James see if you can catch this!"

Still on the ground, unnoticed by either of the laughing boys, Severus moaned in pain. Did the idiot who struck him not even realize he had done so?

Apparently the gooey mess on his face was blood…from his badly broken nose. He couldn't even bear to open his eyes and survey the damage.

To add to his confusion, a third voice came from the direction of the shop; however, this was not a young boy, but an older woman. And she was _furious._

"JAMES POTTER! _Accio!_"

Somewhere behind him and high up in the air, Severus heard a boy yelp in terror, then fall to the ground with a resounding _crash._

"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?" the old witch shrieked, pointing at Severus. "_You nearly killed that poor boy!"_

"_Severus?_"

Severus immediately recognized the appalled voice as Sirius'. He assumed that James was lying on the ground somewhere behind him, too scared or too damaged physically to get up and face the old bat head on. He heard Sirius' running footsteps grow closer; even he hadn't noticed what James had done until now.

"Oh dear…are you alright luv?" the woman asked in a much gentler tone, cradling Severus' body into a sitting position. He opened his eyes and saw that she was indeed very elderly: her hair was white and frayed, though her striking hazel eyes hadn't lost their intensity in her old age. While her skin was more wrinkled than a house elf's she still had a girlish look about her. Odd.

"Oi…nasty ol' mess you've got right there…" she pointed her wand at Severus' face and muttered an indistinct spell. At once, the blood disappeared, and his nose appeared to be fully mended. Just to make sure he was healed, Severus reached up to his face: he was perfectly unscathed and even the throbbing had disappeared.

"Thank you," he mumbled, clearly embarrassed to have been beaten up like this.

"My pleasure, dear. I worked in St. Mungo's for years and it's nice being able to help others every once in a while…ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY'RE STRUCK BY IMMATURE, BLUDGER-BRAINED BOYS LIKE YOU!" she roared at James, who was just starting to get to his feet. His entire body was very sore at this point— riding on a broomstick was great…until someone took away his fun by the use of a Summoning Charm, thus leaving him to reunite with the enemy known as gravity.

"Hey Severus," he waved sheepishly at his friend. "I'm really sorry mate…I wasn't thinking—"

"—you're damn right you weren't!" the old lady yelled at him, slapping him across the cheek as painfully as she could manage once he had come close enough to her. James stumbled backwards upon impact: who knew a one hundred and six year old lady's slap could sting so badly?

"What happened?" Severus asked dazedly, still feeling a little light-headed from his collision with James.

"I…was trying out my aunt's newest broom," James said, eyeing the crazed witch warily. "It was pretty difficult to control…fast though!"

"You're never going to lay your hands on another broom as long as I'm around to see to that!" the woman added shrilly, making James flinch as though another slap was coming.

"But Gran! I'm going to be on the Quidditch team this year…don't you want your beloved grandson to uphold the family reputation?"

"Don't you dare try that on me, James. I swear, if I ever catch you on a broom again—"

"Hey what's that?" James interrupted suddenly.

Sirius and Severus looked to where James was pointing, though they saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Run!" James hissed. Severus didn't want to be rude, but this lady's shrieks were really hurting his ears. Shrugging to each other, the trio sprinted away from James' screaming grandmother and ran all the way to the end of the street, darting inside Flourish and Blotts for safety.

"Sorry about that," James panted once they were hidden behind several rows of bookshelves. "She's a mad old bat…tends to rant a while longer than she should…there's no way to shut her up really, we just have to stand there and bear it or get away when we can…I really am sorry, though," he added with a surprisingly authentic apologetic look on his face.

"I'm fine, it doesn't matter," Severus sighed, not expecting anything better of James Potter than nearly killing one of his friends with a broomstick. "Have you got your money with you? We ought to get our things now while we can."

"'Course we do. We've been waiting for you for hours."

Severus scowled, though he decided not to place the blame on Lily for his tardiness. His friends already loathed her enough as it was…

"So you aunt owns that place?" Severus asked as they began scouring the shelves for their second year Transfiguration books.

"Yes— my uncle was the Seeker for Ireland for several years— they decided to start a Quidditch shop after he fractured every bone in his body and was forced into retirement."

Severus winced. Now _that_ sounded a lot more painful than a mere broken nose.

"Now where are the Defense books at…?" James trailed off as he rounded the corner and froze. Severus and Sirius followed him, and they, too, stopped abruptly to gawk at the strange sight in front of them.

A girl, perhaps their age, was floating upside down…in midair. Her legs were crisscrossed in a yogic position, and her lengthy, silvery-blonde hair was nearly touching the ground. Her face was hidden by a book, which she was reading upside down— well, actually it was the right side up from the boys' perspectives.

"What…what the bloody hell is she doing?" James spluttered. None of them could say a word; the sight was simply too bizarre for words.

Severus looked at the book: _Read Your Way to Levitation. _Was that even remotely possible?

"Excuse us," James spat rather rudely once he recovered his ability to speak. He moved closer to the strange girl to get to his Defense Against the Dark Arts book, but she was obstructing his path. "Move it would you?"

The book was slowly pulled away from the girl's face, revealing her shocking sapphire eyes. Her facial features were otherwise very plain, but her eyes were truly something to behold.

She smiled mysteriously at James then said in a rather dreamy voice: "Why command one to move when what you seek can move for you?"

James looked ready to respond, but he couldn't figure out what the hell she had meant. He fumed over this for a few seconds— much to his friends' amusement— then tried asking again.

"I said _move._ Are you incapable of hearing?"

The girl closed her eyes and smiled. "I can hear you perfectly."

Trying to ignore his friend's muffled laughter behind him, James walked even closer to the girl. "If you can hear me, then why haven't you moved yet?"

"I like it here."

"That's swell. Could you go find another place to er...levitate?"

"But I like it right here," she said simply, smiling at James' impatience.

"_Can you please just get out of my way?_" James barked at her, not in the mood for freakish little witches like her to annoy him like this.

"Why?"

"_I need to get my Defense book!"_

"Oh," the girl's eyes opened once more and she flipped over in the air, landing softly on the ground with her delicate feet. "Why didn't you say so?"

James was, once again, ready to argue, but then he realized that he hadn't really stated what he wanted anyway. Growling furiously to himself, he snatched the stack of three Defense books from the freak without thanking her and stomped away in the opposite direction.

"Goodbye James Potter," she waved to him, the dreamy smile never leaving her face even though it was quite clear to everyone around that James was fed up with her.

"How does she know my name?" James demanded grouchily once they were outside of the book shop. "I've never seen her in my life…and I can't honestly say I'd enjoy a reunion."

Sirius snickered. "She probably memorizes the names of all her potential friends— from what I've heard, she and her brother haven't got any. Unsurprising, really."

"What's her name?" Severus inquired curiously. She had indeed been one of the most peculiar people he had ever run into— though her subtle mockery of James had been rather entertaining.

"Muse Lovegood."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Are you _certain_ you don't want to come along?" Narcissa begged Lucius, who was following Bellatrix to Borgin and Burkes, where they would be Flooing home. Narcissa would be alone with Regulus until Lily showed up, which she didn't mind much, but it would be so much more fun if Lucius stayed with her…

"No, I really must be going," Lucius said hurriedly, glancing over his shoulder as though he was worried that someone would spot him. Narcissa continued to plead for him to stay, but after a few more wasted minutes, her attempts were rendered useless, and she was left to wander around Knockturn Alley—without parental supervision— until Lily showed up. Bellatrix was supposed to be accompanying them, because they were too young to go by themselves. But Bella had other things on her mind at the moment, and told Narcissa that she was old enough to handle it by herself, which Narcissa took as a compliment and didn't complain.

"Narcissa!"

She turned around at the sound of her name to see Lily running towards her with an excited smile on her face. She was so cheerful and carefree that she looked sorely out of place in this place of gloom and despair.

"Lily, it's so good to see you again," Narcissa hugged her overexuberant friend.

"I haven't seen you in weeks! How have you been?"

"I've been fine…oh, Lily, I would like you to meet my cousin, Regulus Black," Narcissa turned around and pulled a young boy forward to greet Lily.

Lily's jaw dropped. If Narcissa hadn't told her what the boy's name was, she would have immediately mistaken him for Sirius. Even though there was a one year age gap between them, Regulus could have easily passed as Sirius' twin.

"Nice to meet you," Lily shook his hand, trying to be formal, but this only made his pale cheeks turn a shade of pink.

_Well that's definitely unexpected,_ Lily thought. Sirius Black was one of the loudest, most obnoxious people in their year, and his younger brother was…quiet. Socially awkward, too. In fact, he almost reminded her of Severus, whose personality was completely opposite to Sirius'. Maybe there were more differences between the brothers than she knew…

"You're in Slytherin?" he asked doubtfully, glancing over Lily's appearance as though she was the last person he'd ever expect to see in Slytherin.

"Of course she is," Narcissa cooed to him as though he were a little baby. While it was clear that the two were very close friends, Regulus secretly loathed the belittling treatment; though he didn't dare tell Narcissa this.

"Shall we get started then?" Narcissa asked after a long period of uncomfortable silence.

Lily and Regulus nodded and they set off at once. Lily's first impression of the boy was that he was a lot more mature than his brother, but she still couldn't shake off the strange way in which he was watching her the whole time…

**xXxXxXxXx**

Lord Voldemort had been enjoying his summer.

Ever since he murdered the Malfoys, his Death Eaters had increased their productivity by tenfold. They had successfully managed to place two highly-ranked Aurors under the Imperius Curse in July, spawning a vast river of information regarding the plots against them and enabling them to consistently outsmart the Ministry. Even more exciting: there had been more murders lately than Voldemort could count on two hands; the fact that all of the twelve or so murders had been Mudbloods pleased the Dark Lord immensely.

The only thing that continued to bother him was his lack of control at Hogwarts. Not only did Dumbledore currently have his precious locket, but he had learned— from a certain young female follower— that there were Mudbloods there. Not just in the disgraced houses of Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and (especially) Gryffindor; but there were Mudbloods in _Slytherin._ Lord Voldemort _not_ happy about this.

His beloved house, created by his pureblooded ancestor, Salazar Slytherin and highest above all of the others, had Mudbloods in it. He did not know how many there were, seeing as the girl had only informed him of one. A soon to be-second year female. How she had managed to sneak her way into Slytherin, Voldemort did not know, but he would not stand for such blatant disregard of his ancestor's pureblood ideologies.

However, there were few ways of getting into Hogwarts without detection. Deep inside his soulless soul, Voldemort felt a pinch of fear at the prospect of running into Dumbledore. He knew there was no possibility of the old fool knowing what the locket contained, but he still wouldn't allow him the chance to find out. Luckily for him, he had set a determined boy on the task of retrieving it. If Lucius succeeded, he would be richly rewarded. If he failed…the consequences would be _severe_.

With merry thoughts of either ridding the world of yet another Malfoy or getting his locket back, Voldemort began plotting a way for him or his Death Eaters to infiltrate Hogwarts. Obviously, he wished to operate as secretly as possible, lest the old man find out and ruin his plan to utterly destroy the damned Mudbloods that dared to enter the House of Slytherin.

It was during an early morning gathering with his Death Eaters that Voldemort discovered a reasonably clever way of penetrating Hogwarts undetected.

"Patrick," his sharp, bone-chilling voice rang out, causing all but one of his followers to sigh with relief that he wasn't going to speak to them.

A small man shakily got to his feet and removed his hood, revealing what little hair he had left on his badly-scarred head.

"My—my Lord?" he asked in a tiny voice, sounding much too cowardly to be considered a follower of the greatest Dark wizard of all time.

"You have a son, do you not?" Voldemort demanded fiercely. "_Answer me!"_

"Ye—yes my Lord…"

"Are you fond of the boy?" Voldemort asked quietly, not looking up at his followers, but fingering with his wand instead. It was a habit he had picked up when he was thinking hard about something; his Death Eaters automatically knew not to bother him when he did this.

"I am not…his mother deserves to be damned to Hell," Patrick spat with a surprisingly display of anger before returning to his permanently-frightened appearance.

Voldemort smiled grimly. "There are far worse things than Hell, my friend."

The Death Eaters did not believe this could be possible, but maintained their silence and nodded approvingly of their leader.

"Bring me the boy," Voldemort said softly. Had there been any other sound in the background, his voice would have been inaudible, though the Death Eaters heard it loud and clear.

"My—my Lord?"

"Is it too difficult for you, Patrick?" Voldemort jeered cruelly. "To retrieve a boy from that ghost of a woman you left a decade ago?"

"No! No, my Lord— I didn't understand…of course, of course…"

Nobody dared to ask what Voldemort's motives were. He knew they wouldn't, and he wasn't about to tell them anyway. He'd learned the painful lesson of not trusting anyone with your deepest secrets by now, and he would not make the same mistake again.

The school year began in two days. What a year it was going to be.

* * *

**A/N: **_If James seemed a little rude in this chapter, it's because he's still an immature prat (I actually imagine canon-James as worse than this). Muse is probably the last OC I'll make for this story (besides minor people and DADA professors), and she's pretty important later on. And, finally: I decided to make Regulus one year older than he really is for the purpose of the story (like I made Bellatrix and Narcissa much younger than they really are...it just helps with the plot)._

_Any comments are appreciated, as always :)_


	17. In the Moonlight

**A/N: **_Eek! Sorry that took so long, I'll try to be quicker with my updates from now on, but no promises. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I'm ecstatic to hear you're still enjoying the story! Enjoy~_

* * *

"Good haul this year," Lily nearly shouted over the thundering applause the echoed throughout the Great Hall once the Sorting had finished and the new students were scrambling to their new houses' tables. There were thirteen new Slytherins this year; the biggest group of first years for the house in nearly two decades.

Laika, sitting to Lily's right nodded in agreement but remained moodily silent. When Lily had reunited with her friend on the Hogwarts Express, she had immediately noticed a drastic change. Gone was the smirking, sarcastic Laika she used to know; now she seemed to have fallen into an eternal state of depression. There were large dark circles under her eyes, as though she hadn't slept well for weeks, and a scowl had been permanently etched into her face. Sadder yet: she barely talked if she could avoid it. Lily had a feeling she would eventually return to her old self, but for now it pained her greatly to see her friend so emotionally destroyed.

"Congratulations Reggie!" Narcissa squealed in an uncharacteristic display of girlishness as her cousin came over to sit by her.

"Don't call me that," he mumbled awkwardly as he stood behind Melika, who was sitting on Narcissa's right.

"You! Move!" Narcissa nastily booted Melika from her seat, allowing room for Regulus to sit next to her. Melika was clearly embarrassed to find herself out of a seat, but she didn't _dare_ talk back to Bellatrix Black's younger sister. She, like most students from other houses, was terrified of Bellatrix. Refusing to give up her seat to Narcissa would have been a very unwise thing to do.

Lily frowned slightly at Narcissa's selfish action, but kept her silence. After all, there was nothing wrong with wanting Regulus to sit next to her. Melika could just find another seat…

"Is this seat taken?"

Apparently, Melika intended to sit next to Lily. There was a little bit of space between her and Peter Pettigrew, who was sitting on her left, so Lily shrugged uncaringly. Laika wasn't watching, and Narcissa was too busy fussing over her cousin to notice Lily's act of kindness to the pathetic outcast.

"If you don't mind, of course," Lily said to Peter, who looked slightly irritated with the other girl at first, but tried to smile for Lily.

"No—no problem," he stammered, even going as far as to move down and make a little more room for Melika. Lily smiled. She had originally thought Peter to be a bit odd, but after getting to know him a little better on the way here— there was room in their compartment for one more person, and with the choice of Melika or Peter, the girls unanimously chose him— and she found him a likeable person. He wasn't overly arrogant as Potter and Black were, and although he would never match Severus' level of intelligence, he knew a plethora of fascinating stories about Ministry mishaps and hushed-up Auror attacks that kept Lily entertained for hours.

"Welcome, welcome," Dumbledore greeted everyone in the hall warmly as he took a step up to his podium to begin his start-of-the-year speech.

"Now that the Sorting is finished, I would like to introduce you to our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Darcy Umbridge."

The woman at the far right end of the staff table stood up and enthusiastically waved to the students, but nobody waved back. They were too busy gawking at her appearance, which consisted of an eye-torturing cerise cloak and robes the colour of equally horrifying bubble gum pink.

"What do you suppose her favourite colour is?" Sirius mused sarcastically, unable to take in so much pink at once.

After several moments of silence, one girl from the Slytherin stood up and cheered as loudly as she could manage. Every head turned to face the source of the obnoxious applause; everyone wondered who could possibly be excited by the prospect of this revolting woman teaching them how to defend themselves against Dark Magic. The older girl was dressed in her all-black Slytherin robes, but the oversized pink bow in her hair explained everything.

"Dolores Umbridge," James muttered under his breath. "Got me into a load of trouble last year."

"She's a prefect?" Severus asked, unable to decide who was more frightening: Dolores or her mother. Had it not been for Darcy's facial wrinkles, he would have mistaken her as Dolores' twin sister. They looked _exactly alike. _

"Actually, she's Head Girl this year," James replied darkly. "Power seems to run in the family. My mum worked for that old git's department at the Ministry…lasted a month. Mum Transfigured her office into swamp…complete with six pregnant alligators and this ancient centaur that died on her desk," he added with a smirk.

"So it _does_ run in the family?" Severus sighed, referring to the Potters' pranking problem.

"Amazing…she's still clapping," Sirius pointed out, even though it had been over two minutes since Dumbledore's introduction. Dolores may indeed be an awful girl to be around, but one had to admit that she had school spirit. "When's our first Defense class?"

Severus looked down and read his schedule. It was all he could do to keep from cursing when he saw that they had Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow. First thing in the morning. Wonderful.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"To another spectacular year for Gryffindor!" James held up his small goblet in a toast from the centre of the massive group of students in the common room later that evening. Everyone else held their drinks up as well, and after a deafening round of clanks and clashes, they downed their butterbeers in a single gulp. Once the group scattered and the music and wild dancing continued, Severus found himself wandering over to a quiet corner of the room, not wanting to partake in such frivolous affairs.

Where James and Sirius had gotten the butterbeer, he did not know, but their efforts had proven worthwhile, seeing as they now found themselves just where they wanted to be: at the centre of attention and admiration at the Gryffindor House's Welcome Back Celebration. The new first years were delighted to have found themselves in such an exciting house, and they immediately adored James and Sirius for their supposedly 'hilarious' pranks. Severus found them to be ridiculous, but he was so used to those dunderheads by now that he hardly noticed.

To start off the year with a bang, Sirius had stunned his younger brother on his way down to the Slytherin dungeons and hung his limp body from the ceiling in the Charms corridor for all to laugh at. Meanwhile, James had found it rather amusing to bewitch Peter Pettigrew's pants into looking like pink bunny underpants. McGonagall had been furious with these two, and before the sun had even set on their first day back, they received a week's worth of detentions.

Even then, they still threw a party for their house, despite the fact that Severus and Remus had pleaded them not to. Severus really couldn't stand such festivities, and Remus was looking a little ill tonight. He had gone up to bed before it had even begun, and Severus thought it was nearly time for him to leave as well. Much to his irritation, James was flirting with Mary— having been rejected by the prefects, Molly and Alice— and Sirius had stupidly released a pair of wild Bludgers into the chaos as entertainment for the first years.

Just as Severus got up to leave, he noticed Remus scurrying down the stairs that led to their dormitory. He was extremely pale and judging by the way he was moving he did not wish to be seen nor followed. A good friend would have left him alone, but as Severus watched him running towards the portrait exit, he couldn't help but follow after him.

"Where are you going?" he asked suspiciously after the portrait had closed behind him and Remus was on the verge of sprinting away. At once, Remus stopped in his tracks and looked back; the fear on his face disappeared when he realized that it was only Severus.

"I'm not feeling too well," he replied as calmly as he could manage, fidgeting in place as he watched Severus walking over to him and give him a onceover. His friend's carefully calculating black eyes sometimes made him wonder if he could see things he wished to remain hidden…it was as though they were searching for the dark secret he was hiding…but how could that be possible? While Severus often understood more than he should, there was no way he could know about…

"Ill?" Severus asked seriously. While he cared about his friend's wellbeing, but he did not appreciate the fact that Remus was obviously hiding something from him. "You do seem to be ill quite often…perhaps you ought to see a qualified practitioner…?"

Remus paled at these words. He knew that Severus was an observant person, but just how much did he know? Was he just really good at 'connecting the dots' per se, or did he recognize his illness…?

"I just need a bit of Pepper Up…I'll be back soon—"

"You know I have some in my trunk," Severus cut across him, growing more and more doubtful of his true intentions. He couldn't figure out why Remus was behaving so strangely, and he didn't like the way his normally-calm eyes kept darting back and forth in a state of uncharacteristic panic. He didn't move away from Severus, and his lack of response told Severus everything he needed to know.

"Is there…something you want to tell me?" Severus inquired softly after several moments of uncomfortable silence. By now, Remus' trip to the Hospital Wing had been forgotten, and he seemed to be struggling to formulate what he wanted to say into words. His eyes pleaded for Severus to be understanding, but he was incapable of revealing what was wrong in the first place.

He would open his mouth as though preparing to speak, then he would close it and dart a fearful glance out the nearby stained glass windows, where the moonlight was pouring in and engulfing their little corner in shadows. After realizing there was little chance that Remus would actually say something, Severus felt both perplexed and saddened by his friend's inability to trust him. While they weren't exactly the best of friends, Remus was still a better friend to him than James or Sirius ever were. He had never bullied him those first few weeks when he had been trapped in Gryffindor that first year, and the two definitely understood each other much more than the arrogant loudmouths could. Then why was there a streak of mistrust in their friendship? Had Severus proven himself unworthy of such a burden in the past?

"I need you to promise me something," Remus whispered, his eyes shut tightly as though the words spilling from his lips were too much to bear.

Severus nodded. He may be a bit nasty at times, but if anything, he was loyal. He would never betray a friend no matter how terrible the consequences would be…

Remus sighed deeply. What was he thinking? Severus would never be his friend again if he told him the truth…not that he blamed him: who in their right mind would want to be associated with someone like him? Keeping it a secret would protect him from the negative backlash and the pain of losing a friend. There was no reason for him to trust Severus with such a powerful secret…quite frankly, he found it impossible to trust anyone with such information. Severus might even tell the whole school about it and he'd have to leave Hogwarts for good.

Then again…he'd seen how devoted Severus was to his close friends. Take Lily Evans, for example: she was a Slytherin and he was still her best friend. Even when she treated him like dirt, he still kept an eye on her and ensured her safety until the whole locket fiasco was over. And, by the looks of it, Severus knew what it was like to be an outcast. Remus understood how it felt to be unwanted, and perhaps through this similarity, Severus would realize just how difficult it was to live with this affliction. Deciding that he would take the chance and trust Severus Snape, Remus prepared to continue on…

However, just before Remus could work up the courage to speak again, James burst out of the portrait hole and immediately ran over to his friends, oblivious to the magnitude of the conversation in which he was interrupting.

"Weasley and Jorkins are unconscious," he panted, still completely unaware what he had done. "Arthur was hit by a Bludger and Bertha— that oddball seventh year— had a bit too much to drink…we need to get some medications…"

Severus felt his insides go cold. After all, he had come _so close_ to a breakthrough with Remus, and James completely killed it. Severus was concerned that Remus' problem was much deeper than simple queasiness, and he wanted to help him in any way he could. But _nooo_. James just _had_ to come to the wrong place at the wrong time. Remus would probably never talk about this matter with him again; the time to speak up had already passed.

Resisting the overwhelming urge to slug James in the back of the head, Severus shrugged to Remus and the trio wordlessly made their way over to the Hospital Wing, where a very hassled-looking Madam Pomfrey awaited them.

"Oh dear, where are those bandages— oh boys! You gave me a fright!"

"Didn't mean to," James apologized quickly. The mediwitch was clearly under a lot of stress: bandages were strewn everywhere, spilled potions lay uselessly near the stores cabinet, and there were more than half a dozen students lying in the beds across the room.

"Caught the flu quite early in the year, poor dears," Pomfrey muttered under her breath as she hasty whipped out her wand and flicked it at the puddles of potions, making the colourful substances fly up into the air and return to their own respective containers. She continued on like this for a long time, scurrying about and cleaning up pools of sick the ailing students occasionally threw up on the sides of their beds. Meanwhile, the three boys simply stared on at the scene, uncertain if they should offer to help or just leave her be.

Finally, when everything was organized and orderly once more, Pomfrey returned to where the boys were waiting patiently.

"What can I do for you boys? What are you doing out so late? Isn't it past curfew?"

"Remus isn't feeling well," Severus said immediately.

"Oh!" Madam Pomfrey looked very startled by this bit of news, and out of the blue, she darted a furtive glance out the window before returning her attention to the trio. "What's wrong Mr. Lupin?"

"I just…" Remus trailed off and looked at his friends out of the corner of his eye before continuing, "I'm feeling a little nauseous I suppose. I should be fine though," he added, taking note of the bewildered expression on James' face. "If I feel worse er…_tomorrow_, I'll come back."

"Nonsense!"

Despite Remus' protests, Madam Pomfrey hustled him over to an unoccupied bed and forced him to lie down and drink a horrible-tasting potion to calm his nerves. He felt horrendously embarrassed to be coddled like this in front of Severus and James, but he really didn't have a choice. Madam Pomfrey always treated him like this, which was why he usually preferred to come up here alone. A least he wouldn't have to witness this humiliation for much longer. His eyelids soon began to droop and he felt himself grow very sleepy…

"Is that all?" Pomfrey whispered once the sleeping potion had worked its magic on Remus and he was soundly asleep in the darkest corner of the room.

"Well, we need something for concussions— it's nothing serious!" James lied, worried that the healer would force Dumbledore to ban the use of Bludgers for entertainment purposes if she learned what had happened.

"He's right," Severus affirmed. "They just took a tiny tumble down the stairs."

Pomfrey looked highly sceptical, but said nothing and hurried over to her stores cabinet and searched around for the required medication.

While she was preoccupied with that, Severus and James silently prowled around the shadowy room. The pitiful whimpers from the ill students echoed throughout the otherwise dead quiet room, giving it a ghostly effect that even the Hogwarts ghosts couldn't pull off.

At the end of a row, Severus paused at the sight of a second year girl that he vaguely recognized. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he saw that her body looked rather beaten up, and although her left arm was tightly bandaged, there was still blood oozing through it. He jumped backwards when her head turned slowly in her sleep and he realized it was that Melika girl. A Slytherin. Taking a step closer, he noticed the most peculiar thing: the wounds on her forearm seemed to form a pattern under the bandage.

Quickly glancing over his shoulder to insure no surprises, Severus held up her limp arm and examined it. He could not see much from the outer bandages, so he cautiously unravelled a single layer in order to further investigate the strange markings. He saw it clearly now, but the meaning of the letters did not register in his mind for several seconds. Inscribed into Melika's abnormally pale skin, using her own precious blood as ink, were two messily-scrawled letters: "MB."

Suddenly, like a cold shower washing over him, Severus remembered a conversation he had had with Lily the previous summer:

"_I'm…scared. I know I shouldn't be, but Sev…they're awful to that Muggleborn, Melika—you should have seen the way they treat her…it's…it's…its just horrible! I mean, she doesn't do anything bad as far as I know, but still…"_

Immediately, Severus realized that 'MB' meant 'Mudblood.' He was sure of it. After all, Severus knew how Dark wizard's minds worked and what types of spells they used. Marking an innocent girl— from their own house at that— as a Mudblood was not beneath them. Furthermore, marking her in the most brutally painful— and nearly permanent— way possible was their specialty.

He had already seen what the Slytherins were capable of from Lily's neck wounds the previous year. And now this girl. Was it a mere coincidence that the people they kept attacking were Muggleborns? Even if they didn't realize that's what Lily was…yet?

_Yet,_ Severus thought grimly.

Sooner or later, Lily's house mates and 'friends' would learn of her secret. He knew she would not be able to live this lie for six more years. Lily was still young and naïve; what Severus constantly worried about was if she let down her guard. She trusted people far too easily, and he could see her freely divulging her secret to her most 'trustworthy' friends: Laika and Narcissa. Unfortunately for her, the Malfoy family line had a history of leading the Dark community in acts of severe Muggle and Muggleborn torture, while the Blacks continued to strive for an entirely pureblood line and supported all of the anti-Muggleborn movements throughout the centuries. Lily was _not_ in a good situation, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Melika's horrific branding was probably only the beginning of what would become a devastating turn of events for the house of Slytherin. Some of the older students were studying Legilimency in addition to their regular Anti-Dark Magic studies, and would be able to read Lily's mind like a book if they chose to do so. Anti-Muggleborn hatred ran deep within the veins of the house, and here Lily was, one of two Muggleborns currently seeking refuge in the very place that wanted them dead.

In short, Lily was in terrible danger.

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**A/N: **_I know this was a little vague, so I'll point it out: tomorrow is full moon, not the present evening in this chapter. You'll find out why he was panicking like that a day early later on in the story. Well, I hope you liked this chapter, and as always, I love comments/constructive criticism ;)_


	18. A Flaw in the Plan

**A/N: **_I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, and I'm sorry this took so long to publish again...luckily, summer's almost here!_

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Severus' heart thumped wildly against his chest as he watched the group of Slytherins enter the classroom for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson with the Gryffindors; Lily was nowhere in sight. Malfoy and Black were already here, as was Pettigrew and Mulciber and some other Slytherins he didn't recognize. The Melika girl was probably still up in the Hospital Wing, and as the last few stragglers rushed into the room, Severus began to fret whether Lily had been attacked as well.

He needn't have worried, however: just as he was about to go searching for her, Lily came running into the room, looking slightly harassed. Upon seeing his friend alive and well, Severus collapsed back into his seat and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Where were you?" he demanded when Lily came over and sat in between him and Sirius.

"Sorry Sev…I was having the most fascinating conversation with Regulus and I lost track of the time—"

Behind her, Sirius gagged. "I'm sorry, but did you just say 'fascinating' and 'Regulus' in the same sentence?"

Lily's cheeks reddened. "Yes. And I must say it's nice to know there are some brains in the Black family after all."

Contrary to the insulted expression Lily had been expecting, Sirius simply grinned. "Aww, Evans…that's no way to talk about 'Cissy!"

"You know I meant _you_," Lily seethed, unable to bear the supreme arrogance displayed by Gryffindors…except Sev, of course. Well, and Lupin. But the rest were horrible.

To everyone's surprise, the new teacher hadn't shown up yet. It was already five minutes into the class period, and the students were growing restless, wondering what this year's Defense professor would be like. Unsurprisingly, James and Sirius were already making bets with other housemates as to which fate awaited Umbridge at the end of the year.

"Are you okay Sev?" Lily inquired softly after observing him for several moments. Something was off about him today: his forehead was creased with worry, his eyes kept glancing at her uneasily, and his usual scowl was now a deep frown. She had known him too long not to recognize that he was clearly stressed over something.

Severus gave her a long, meaningful look. "So," he began quietly. "Where's your friend Melika?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "_That's_ what's bothering you? _Her?_"

Severus was immediately taken aback by the unsympathetic tone in his friend's voice. Did she not know what had happened? That had to be the case; he couldn't see Lily so calm about something so serious…

"No…I'm worried about _you_."

"Me?"

The girlish smile disappeared from her lovely face at once. She knew Severus could be a little overprotective at times, but the way he said some things sent chills down her spine.

"Why?" she whispered, her vivid emerald eyes now widened in fear.

Severus' frown deepened. How could he tell her? She refused to listen to him whenever he mentioned them over the summer; would she stubbornly ignore him now, too? Unfortunately, Lily was immensely loyal to her Slytherin friends now and any criticism about them — even if the evidence against them was overwhelming— would be taken as a personal insult to Lily, seeing that they were _her_ friends. While it was great that Lily had managed to meet new people and finally fit in at Hogwarts, Severus couldn't help but feel as though she was supporting the wrong side. Even when they hurt her, she still remained steadfastly devoted to them. The Malfoys nearly killed her, and instead of confronting the issue head on, she chose to turn a blind eye to it. Severus just could not comprehend the logic behind Lily's thinking.

"Lily," he began slowly, hoping that his calm tone would suppress the outburst he knew was coming at least until he was finished talking. "I…think you're in trouble."

Lily scoffed. "Oh Sev, not _this_ again. Are you going to tell me the Malfoys are trying to kill me again?"

"Well…yes," Severus replied defiantly, hating the mocking laughter behind her words. "Will you please just listen for—"

"No!" Lily snapped furiously. "I'm tired of you trying to scare me away from my friends with those crazy theories of yours—"

"—they're not theories!" Severus replied, feeling his temper rising dangerously. "I heard them! You nearly died, and you're perfectly willing to let that go!"

Lily was speechless. Severus _never_ yelled at her like that. In fact, he was so angry that his normally-pale cheeks were now slightly pink. What hurt the most was the betrayed look in his eyes: _why won't you listen to me? Me, your best friend?_

Fighting back tears— of fury or misery, she couldn't tell— Lily picked up her book bag and stormed over to the table where Laika and Narcissa were sitting. They greeted her warmly, and Laika even had the nerve to send a nasty glare in Severus' direction. Severus didn't glare back, however; he was too frustrated with Lily's obstinacy to pay attention to Malfoy at the moment. While Lily was undoubtedly the best friend he'd ever had, there were just some times where he wanted to wallop her across the back of her head. She may not listen to him, but he still had another idea in mind…

"I need your help," he whispered to James and Sirius. "Meet me in the—"

Before Severus could finish his sentence, he was struck in the back of the head by what felt like a weighty textbook. At once, his neck jolted forward, then back into place, but the jerkiness of his slow reaction made his eyes water in excruciating pain. His immediate thought was that one of his friends had accidentally done this, but they were just as startled as he was.

"Thirty points from Gryffindor," said a sickeningly sweet voice from behind him. "I never said you may talk in my absence."

Through his fazed vision, Severus could see that Professor Umbridge had finally shown up for class— just in time to punish him for speaking. _Thirty points..._that was positively ridiculous for such a small offense! Even worse: apparently he had been hit by the ancient book she was carefully caressing in her hands— the sharp bronze rims on the cover were undoubtedly the source of the agonizing sensation that throbbed relentlessly within his skull.

_What a horrible way to begin the year, _Severus thought furiously as he massaged his neck. The first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year had barely started and not only was Lily mad at him, but he'd gotten off to a rough start with the new professor as well. Then again, that meant that things could only improve from here on out…right?

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Wrong,_ Severus silently fumed as he walked away from Umbridge's classroom at the end of the lesson. Between Sirius, James, and him, Gryffindor had lost a total of eighty house points within the span of an hour. Meanwhile, the Slytherins had gained a total of forty points. There was clearly a favouritism problem here. Not one Slytherin had so much as lost a single point for speaking out of turn— even though all of them freely spoke their minds once they realized they could get away with it— and Umbridge was careful to ignore every raised hand from the Gryffindors, ensuring that they never received any points for questions her precious Slytherins could possibly answer.

The blatant discrimination infuriated the three Gryffindor boys, but after Umbridge threatened a week's worth of detentions, each of them was forced to hold their tongue.

Muttering a few punishment-worthy swear words under his breath as he continued along the empty hallways for lunch, Severus soon found that he wasn't alone. Off to the left, whispering excitedly to each other, were Lucius Malfoy and— to Severus' great surprise— Lily. If he had realized this sooner, he would have hidden behind the statue of the one-legged troll and eavesdropped onto their conversation, but it was too late. Lily noticed him first, and the ever-observant Lucius immediately clamped his mouth shut and followed Lily's eyes.

"What are you doing with _him_?" Severus asked suspiciously, deciding that a direct confrontation might get Lily to listen to him if he could publicly reveal Malfoy as a sham.

Lucius smiled icily. "Ah Lily…still associating yourself with Gryffindors, I see?"

Lily blushed and laughed nervously. "Oh…him? Goodness no—"

Severus didn't hear what else she said; he was too hurt by Lily's stinging words to listen anymore. How could she say that? After all this time…after everything he had done for her...she still refused to admit they were friends in the company of others? Or…what if she really meant it? What if she was so upset over the incident in Defense that she really didn't want to be around him anymore? Severus was terribly inept when it came to understanding the minds of girls, and even his best friend was no exception. Fighting the crazed desire to run up and strangle Malfoy for stealing his friend from him, Severus settled for a murderous glare. Malfoy wasn't intimidated at all by this; in fact, he looked quite amused. Lily wouldn't make eye contact with him, but he could see that her cheeks were still glowing vibrantly.

"Fine then," he snapped, his livid glower directed solely at Lily now. Her helpless green eyes appeared watery, but her continual lack of support said everything. Gone was the Lily who consistently backed Severus— in good times and bad. Although Severus refused to admit it, Lily was becoming more and more like Malfoy everyday. She was slowly progressing into a true Slytherin...and Severus didn't like it at all.

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Poke. _

Lucius Malfoy whirled around to face the offender whom had jabbed rather harshly into his side, but there was not a person in sight.

_Odd._

He continued along the shadowy corridor, occasionally pausing to gaze out at the night's wondrous full moon and Hogwarts' vast acreage beneath it. He was currently on late night patrol, one of the more cumbersome tasks Dumbledore had assigned to sixth year prefects in an attempt to promote the safety of the students twenty four hours per day, even though nothing _ever_ happened at night. Quite frankly, Lucius felt himself growing very sleepy due to the lack of action, and half considered deserting his post and returning to bed. It must have been at least two in the morning by now, and he had an important exam in Defense Against the Dark Arts in a few hours. Then again, he was not one for studying, so he began formulating plans to trick the dreadful professor's daughter into 'helping him.' Dolores was definitely an intelligent girl, but she too had her weaknesses and it was Lucius' job to find out what they were an exploit them to the fullest extent of his abilities. After all, N.E.W.T.s were next year, and he while he knew what his "career" path would be, he still wished to learn as much as possible before turning his education against those who had taught him in the first place. It was a fine plan indeed.

_Poke._

He jumped into a fighting stance— wand out, of course— and called out: "Show yourselves!"

The ghost or intruder was not discouraged by this, however, and after a couple of seconds, it kicked him behind the knees. He was not prepared for this, and fell onto the ground before he could catch himself. On his way down, he could have sworn he heard a snort of laughter.

_Peeves._

"Show yourself Peeves! Or I swear I'll go to Dumbledore and have you thrown out of the castle!"

Lucius didn't know if Dumbledore had the ability to force Peeves away from Hogwarts, but the intimidation in his voice ought to cover up his lie. He was exhausted and had better things to do with his time than waste it on disciplining the school prankster. He was so sure that it was the mischievous poltergeist that he was completely stunned to see a pair of slippers suddenly appear out of nowhere on the ground in front of him. Peeves didn't wear slippers did he? And since when did he have the ability to become completely invisible?

The slippers began moving, and Lucius automatically followed. If this was some sort of student prank, he swore he would deplete their house of every last point once he caught them. He kept his wand pointed at what he assumed was the person or ghost's back, waiting for the right moment to strike. The feet moved faster and faster, and Lucius felt himself jogging to catch up. He was headed towards Gryffindor Tower for a while, but then the feet took a sharp turn to the right and led him down a passageway in which Lucius had never been in before. Things were getting a little too suspicious for him, and once he was striking distance, he held up his wand and yelled "_Stupefy!_"

The invisible being became visible once more: none other than the second year Gryffindor, James Potter, was blasted off of his feet, with a silvery blue cloak following in his wake.

"POTTER!"

James instantly realized he had been found out and sprinted away as Malfoy gave chase. The older blonde boy was much faster than him, thanks to his longer legs, but James wasn't about to give up just yet. Panicking slightly, James threw his cloak over his body, and he vanished on the spot, much to Lucius' irritation.

"Show yourself Potter! I'll be sure to let the headmaster know about this, and you shall lose every last point for your precious house if you don't reveal yourself…_now._"

James didn't _dare_ take off his cloak, however. Severus wanted him to stick to the plan, and they were _so_ close...in fact, they were here! Grinning to himself and trying not to laugh out loud as Lucius swatted at the air for his invisible figure, James darted over to the closet where his friends were waiting inside.

"Oy! Looking for me?" James shouted, pulling the cloak off. Lucius shot a few Stunning Spells in his direction, but thanks to his youthful agility, James easily dodged these and made it safely inside the room, slamming the door behind him just as Lucius shot a Body Bind Curse at him.

"You're finished, Potter," Lucius hissed as he cautiously opened the door. His eyes peeled the pitch-black room for James, but he couldn't see anything without some lighting.

"_Lumos."_

"_Expelliarmus!"_

Lucius had barely seen the tip of his wand glow before a voice from the darkness disarmed him. As soon as his wand was completely out of his grasp, three different wands shot three different spells at him, and within seconds, he was tightly bound to a chair, unable to move or shout out for help.

"_Lumos."_

Now he could see his captors clearly: Potter, Black, and the greasy git, Snape. The first two looked absolutely delighted to have found Lucius in such a submissive position, but Snape was frowning in concentration. Whatever the Gryffindor trio was planning on doing to him, Lucius inwardly admitted they had planned this out quite thoroughly. His wand was gone, and someone had nailed him with the _Petrificus Totalus_ somewhere in the scuffle a moment ago. It was indeed embarrassing for him, however; while they may be in control of the situation at the present time, Lucius would persuade the headmaster to expel the fools later for attacking a student— a prefect at that!

"What are we going to do to him?" Black asked in a startlingly vicious tone. Perhaps dear Bella had rubbed off on her cousin after all…

"He's going to tell Lily what he did to her last year."

At the flick of Snape's wand, Lucius regained the ability to speak. "I did nothing to dearest Lily—"

"Don't lie," Severus growled fiercely, jabbing the tip of his wand into Lucius' cheek threateningly. Watching the boy's creepy black eyes as he spoke, Lucius found himself wondering how this boy didn't get into Slytherin. He obviously knew some advanced magic, and his persona was the epitome of Slytherin cunningness. What a shame they had gotten a pathetic fool such as Pettigrew instead of him...

"I have nothing to say," Lucius snarled after several moments of silence. "And who are you to think that three _second years_—" he said jeeringly, "— are able to take on a sixth year? Feeling brave tonight?"

"Oh, I think you _might_ find something to say," Potter replied smugly as Snape held up a tiny vial of clear liquid, which glowed ominously in the light.

"Oh dear, resorting to waterboarding are we?" Lucius sneered, though he knew perfectly well that that couldn't possibly be water. Snape was much too sneaky for that...

"You could just spill your guts now," Black shrugged, looking at Snape as he removed the cork from the vial.

"Or we can have a go at some Veritaserum," Snape added darkly, holding up the liquid so Lucius could see for himself what it was.

Lucius chuckled disapprovingly. "Stealing from Slughorn's personal stores? You three must truly desire expulsion from Hogwarts...no matter, that can _easily_ be arranged..."

"I didn't steal it," Snape smirked evilly. "I made it. Though there's always a good chance that I messed up and this fatally poisonous, but I suppose that's a chance we'll have to take—"

"Wait!"

Lucius, still silently cursing the fact that he was completely and utterly powerless against these infuriating boys, worried whether Snape was bluffing about the poison part, but he certainly wasn't about to find out. Oh, they were in _so_ much trouble once Lucius got out of this…

"What do you wish for me to do?"

Snape did not smile at this obvious hint of surrender, knowing what obstacles lay ahead of them. As mad as he was at Lily, he still wanted her to be safe. The only way to keep her away from the wrong people was making them tell her of their offences against her in person. He figured that while Lily may indeed be growing apart from him, he wasn't just going to sit there and let it happen. Showing her how much he cared about her by looking out for her best interests would hopefully bring her back to the "right" side again. At least that was Severus' plan…

"Why should I?" Lucius demanded after the trio had informed him of his upcoming task. According to the boys, he was supposed to tell Lily of what had _really _happened the year before, thus incriminating both himself and Laika and keeping Lily away from them in the future. Lucius personally preferred the girl to remain completely oblivious to everything: she was much easier to…_persuade_, and Lucius desperately required her help for a mission…

Then again, this was one opportunity Lucius couldn't ignore. The probability of his own quickly-formulating plan succeeding— not only at retaining Lily's servitude to Slytherin, but getting the three boys expelled from Hogwarts for this attack— was very good. Luckily for him, he seemed to be the only person who saw the glaring flaw in their scheme: there was no stopping him if he so wished to go and tell Dumbledore of what the boys had done. He had given his word that he would speak with Lily— only after Snape had threatened to stuff him in some strange piece of furniture called a 'Vanishing Cabinet'— but he purposely failed to clarify what exactly he would say to her beyond telling her of what he did last year. It was the perfect plan, and he couldn't wait to see the looks on the boys' faces when they found out how much trouble they were in for assaulting him…

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**A/N: **_I suppose I don't have much to say for this chapter...well, if you think Severus didn't notice that "flaw" then I'm afraid you're mistaken..._

_Any comments/constructive criticism is appreciated, and I'll try to reply to all reviews ASAP this time :)_


	19. Wails from the Dungeon

**A/N: **_As usual, thank you to everyone who took the time to review. Slightly off-topic: I saw Star Trek last night and spent most of the movie comparing Kirk and Spock to James and Severus. But surely you've already noticed these similarities? Alright, alright, on with the story..._

_

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Knock. Knock._

Dumbledore looked up at the sound of someone pounding feebly against the vast door that led to his office. He knew it couldn't be a teacher, for they had ditched the knocking habit ages ago. All of the students were supposed to be in their classes at the moment, but things at Hogwarts were always so unpredictable that he knew to expect the unexpected.

"Enter."

Much to his surprise, it was Mr. Snape, the strangely Slytherin-like Gryffindor boy. And he looked _exhausted._ There were dark circles under his eyes as though he hadn't slept in a century, and his mind was so fuzzy that he could barely walk in a straight line up to the headmaster's desk.

"Shouldn't you be in your Defense Against the Dark Arts class right now, Mr. Snape?" Dumbledore asked quietly as the boy stumbled up to him like a wasted drunkard.

The pale boy looked up; his eyes were yellowed and bloodshot. Dear Merlin, what had happened to him?

The truth was, Severus hadn't gotten any sleep in over forty hours. Ever since they released Malfoy, he had been trailing the boy— underneath the Invisibility Cloak— all over the castle until this very moment when he deviated from the path and ran all the way to Dumbledore's office. Severus knew Malfoy would be up here shortly to tell the old headmaster all about the Gryffindors' "attack" on him the night before. Ensuring that Severus made it to Dumbledore first was the only way he could even hope to avoid severe punishment. While Severus was hesitant to trust the old man, he really didn't have a choice. He couldn't stand the possibility of Lucius Malfoy sneakily turning their plot against them, so Dumbledore was their only hope left.

"I need to talk to you, Professor," Severus croaked, his throat dry and stomach growling rather thunderously. He had been so busy preparing his ambush on Malfoy yesterday that he had completely forgotten all about lunch and dinner, and since the prefect had ditched breakfast, Severus was forced to go hungry again in order to keep a close eye on him.

Dumbledore regarded him carefully. What could the poor, beaten-up boy possibly have to say to him? Dumbledore had a hunch that he was attacked, but he didn't dare draw conclusions yet.

"Go ahead, Mr. Snape."

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Knock. Knock._

Darcy Umbridge's angry hazel slits looked up from the book she was force-feeding into her young students' impressionable minds and glared at the door. How _dare_ someone interrupt _her_ class. If it was Filch again, she swore she would have the Minister dispel him from Hogwarts and throw him in Azkaban within a week.

"What now?!" she shrieked, flicking her wand at the door impatiently.

"Good morning Professor."

Umbridge immediately calmed herself and beamed at the sight of one of her favourite students, Lucius Malfoy, standing in the doorway.

"Oh _hello_ Mr. Malfoy," she gushed appreciatively, as though he had come in here solely for the purpose of visiting her. "What brings you to my classroom so early?"

Lucius' eyes gazed over the rows of students sitting in terrified silence behind Umbridge; apparently she had second year Gryffindors and Slytherins at the moment. Curiously, the Snape boy wasn't present. Oh, this would make things _so_ much easier…

"I need to speak with Lily Evans," Lucius replied softly, settling his gaze on Lily herself, who looked presently surprised to be called upon. Meanwhile, Snape's three friends, Black, Potter, and Lupin, were watching him suspiciously, wondering if he was really going to keep his word. Lucius smirked innocently in their direction, trying to come across as though he was going to follow through with their demands, when he was really double-crossing them. He couldn't help but appreciate the naïveté of Gryffindors. For all of their supposed 'bravery,' they were a rather idiotic lot. For him personally, Lucius definitely preferred the Slytherin method of solving problems, rather than charging at the issue head-on without any sort of stable— or sane— plan as Gryffindors often did. Handling such matters privately was going to work to his advantage, while it appeared as though he was compliant with their orders, thus making them believe they were still winning this war.

Umbridge automatically released Lily; being a Slytherin supporter herself, Umbridge took a liking to the shy girl, and had recently assumed the duty of eliminating any of her sympathies towards Gryffindor.

"Is there something wrong?" Lily asked once they were alone.

Lucius had led her into an empty classroom down the hallway from Umbridge's classroom to ensure total privacy. The last thing he needed was Snape showing up and listening to what he was going to tell Lily. Although he had no idea how Snape acquired the information about him and the locket, he was certain he could convince Lily to keep this conversation entirely to herself.

"Your friend…Severus is it? He seems to think I have a negative influence on you," Lucius said quietly, staring right into Lily's shocking green eyes. Her smile dissolved into a frown at once.

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm sorry, he gets irrational about some things and—"

"Do you believe him? Do you think that _I_ would try to hurt you?" Lucius pressed her further.

"Of course not! You see, that's why I think Sev's just overreacting. I think he can't stand the fact that I'm in Slytherin and he's not."

Inwardly, Lily felt her stomach clench up a bit, knowing that the problem was really her upset with the fact that she was in Slytherin and he wasn't. Oh, why couldn't the blasted hat just put them in the same house?

"Right you are," Lucius nodded approvingly, which made Lily smile gratefully for his support. He smiled back, but only to keep from laughing at how ridiculously easy it was to manipulate her. Had it been any other Slytherin, he would have had a hell of a time getting through their stubborn minds, but his effect on Lily's mind could rival that of an Obliviating Spell. In just a simple conversation, he could make her forget things he wanted her to dismiss from her mind, he could implant new ideas effortlessly, and he was even gaining control over her ever-growing prejudice against other houses. It was a magnificent feeling to have so much power over someone's thoughts.

"I mean," Lily continued, looking a little angered now; thinking back on some things Severus had said to her about her friends. "He's so quick to jump to crazy conclusions. Look at the whole locket thing: he blamed you for everything! Can you believe that?"

"Yes," Lucius replied in a barely audible whisper.

"What?"

This caught Lily off-guard. She was expecting Lucius to go along with it, but then why did he just…

"Oh Lily, believe me, it was not I who harmed you last year," Lucius added calmly. "But the locket is indeed mine. And…I need it back."

Lily's eyes narrowed, though it was more in concentration than suspicion. "Why?"

Lucius sighed. "Dumbledore taking that locket from whoever pried it off of you is the reason my parents are dead."

Lily gasped. "Really? Oh…oh Lucius, I'm…I'm so sorry…"

He hung his head low; hopefully showing how completely devastated he was by this loss. Lily had many weak spots, but emotional distress was by far the easiest to trigger. Of course, Lucius didn't give a damn about his dead parents, but this was the least complicated path to getting Lily to help him.

"There's something worse, though, Lily," he said, raising his head and forcing his facial features to appear grievous. "If I don't get that back…the Dark Lord will have my sister and I murdered before the end of the month."

Lily's eyes widened in terror. The thought of losing Laika…_and_ Lucius…it was too much to bear! She couldn't imagine both of them gone; Laika was one of her best friends, and Lucius had always been so helpful to her. She barely acknowledged who he said would be committing the murders; she was more concerned with saving her friends from a highly undesirable fate.

"What can I do to help?"

Lucius smiled grimly. "We need to get the locket back. It's hidden somewhere in Dumbledore's office, and we need to get to it as soon as possible.

Lucius paused and watched as Lily's anxious face soaked up every word he spoke. Even though he already knew what her answer would be, he asked: "Do you think you could help us?"

"Yes."

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Knock. Knock._

At the sound of someone at the door— quite possibly another student— Severus jumped. He had been in a long conversation with Dumbledore, something he would have normally avoided at all costs but found it necessary this time in order to protect himself and his friends. Looking up at the eccentric clock on Dumbledore's desk, he realized it was nearly lunchtime. His stomach was screaming for sustenance by now, and his job was nearly done anyway.

Smiling serenely at Severus' panicked reaction, Dumbledore looked up at the door.

"Enter."

What a surprise. It was Lucius Malfoy. He was looking pretty haughty about something and walked right past Severus' chair as though he wasn't even there.

"Headmaster, I regret I couldn't come sooner, but I am here to report three Gryffindors. And, if I might add, I have ample evidence for you to snap their wands and expel them from Hogwarts!"

Dumbledore smiled. "I know."

"And…you _what_?" Lucius' facial expression went from one of utmost contempt to utter bafflement in the blink of an eye. Severus, sitting in the background, smirked to himself. He had a feeling that Malfoy was going to betray their agreement, and he was finally glad that he had stayed up all night trailing the prefect on his night watch. It was worth it. The funny thing was that Malfoy didn't even realize he was in the room yet…

"I know," Dumbledore repeated.

"But I was attacked Professor!"

"By what spells, Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius looked livid. "I was Disarmed and viciously attacked without any proper defence—"

"And yet you have failed to answer my question, Lucius," Dumbledore interrupted quietly, using his first name to get his attention. "What spells did the boys use on you?"

"Disarming and Body-Binding," Lucius growled fiercely. Severus noticed that his clenched fists were shaking in fury and the back of his neck was flushed from the effort of controlling his anger. If he didn't care about retaining the element of surprise, he would have laughed at him.

"Mr. Malfoy, as a prefect, you must realize we do not expel students for such simple spells."

"But…they attacked me," Lucius repeated. "And they were out of bed after curfew—"

"— for which they'll each receive a detention—"

"— and threatened me with Veritaserum!" Lucius hissed, trying to add on as many horrible deeds as he possibly could in order to knock some sense into the old man and get him to rid the school of the trio of troublemakers.

"You mean this?" Severus came out from hiding— much to Lucius' shock— and held up the vial of clear liquid in which he had terrorized Lucius with the night before.

"_You!_" Lucius gawked between Dumbledore and Severus, unable to believe what was going on. "Headmaster, you must punish him…see? He even admits he was going to poison me with that potion!"

"You mean _water_?"

"It's not water…_you told me it was Veritaserum!_"

"It is indeed water, Mr. Malfoy, I have tasted it myself," said Dumbledore, winking at Severus as he spoke.

Upon this new revelation, Lucius whirled around to face Severus head-on. "You switched them. You can't fool me, there must be a duplicate you little liar…"

"Oh _please,_ I wouldn't go to that much work just for _you_," Severus sneered. "The only potion in the room last night was made of hydrogen and oxygen—" at Lucius' bewildered expression, he added, "it's a Muggle formula for water. You know…the stuff you bathe in? And I'm a second year, how in the world would someone as young as me be able to make something as powerful as Veritaserum?"

Lucius was speechless. He wanted to kill the big-nosed twit for his skilful lying, but instead he settled for a murderous glare.

So neither side's plan worked: Lily wasn't told what Severus wanted her to hear, and from the looks of it, Dumbledore was letting his precious Gryffindors off the hook…as usual. The most infuriating aspect of this was that the greasy git had outsmarted him. He had actually gone ahead and taken the risk by telling Dumbledore the truth before he had managed to get there. It was both pitifully simple and frustratingly brilliant.

"I think we're done here," Dumbledore murmured softly after several moments of heated glaring contests between the two boys. Turning to Severus, he added: "Mr. Snape, I do intend to keep my promise that you and your friends will receive detentions for being out of bed after curfew."

Severus nodded, unable to contain his excitement. His plan had worked, as far as he knew. Lucius had given his word that he'd tell Lily about last year and was therefore bound to an invisible moral contract, but neither side had pledged they would not to go to Dumbledore over the matter, so Severus was free to do whatever he pleased, as was Lucius. Severus had ditched class to be the first one to do so, but Dumbledore had already agreed to grant him a reprieve from class, seeing that their meeting was a rather serious matter. Umbridge wouldn't be happy, but he didn't care.

Walking out of Dumbledore's vast office together, Lucius hissed: "Why'd you do that?"

Severus walked up ahead of him and paused to think for a moment before turning around to respond.

"I dunno…I think the Muggle saying of 'honesty is the best policy' would fit. You should try it sometime."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Are you _certain_ it's 'swish and flick'?" Regulus asked Lily as the two walked out of the library together. Normally she spent her studying time with Severus, but seeing that he was being a bit of a jerk at the moment, she decided to go with Regulus, who needed help on his levitation charms.

"For the twentieth time, _yes_. Your wrist isn't very flexible yet, but if you practice more, I'm sure you'll get it eventually," Lily smiled at him.

Although Regulus was very quiet— much like Severus— Lily found his company to be very enjoyable. Coming from a pureblooded family, he knew loads of magic and had numerous stories about his brother in which Lily planned on humiliating Sirius with later on. Not only that, but he didn't criticize Lily's friends as Severus so often did. For once, Lily could talk freely about her friends without having to listen to Severus' sarcastic insults and rude assumptions. Regulus was a good friend of the Malfoys as well, and he was keen to hear about the task Lucius had given her.

"How are you going to do it?"

Lily sighed. "I don't know yet…I really don't want to let them down…no, I _can't_ let them down…but I'm terribly unimaginative when it comes to solving problems."

"We'll think of something."

Lily grinned. It was hard to believe such a sweet boy could be related to an arrogant prat like Sirius. They were complete opposites, yet they came from the same two parents and were raised in the same environment. It was bizarre.

Just before Lily and Regulus made it to the common room entrance, they heard a horrible wail coming from the old Potions dungeons. Glancing at each other nervously, they instinctively set off for the source of the tortured girl's screams, desperately praying that it wasn't Laika or Narcissa.

"In here!"

Lily skidded to a stop and followed Regulus through the darkened corridor that led to one of the abandoned Potions labs that hadn't been used in decades. It was a rather frightening place; slime in varying degrees of brown and green trickled underfoot and there were spiders everywhere. It grew steadily chillier the deeper they ran into the bowels of the dungeons and at one point, Lily wondered if there were dementors down here.

"Reg, I can't go on," Lily whispered fearfully after the light from the tip of her wand landed on a particularly enormous spider, which spat vile chunks of plasmatic goo at her until she moved the light away. Her second worst fear came in the form of the greasy rats with worm-like tails and beady golden eyes that glared at her from all directions in this narrow passage. Her panicked shrieks did nothing to halt their progress as they nibbled at the hems of her robes, and it was only when Regulus expertly Stupefied them away from her that she could move again. The cold was too much to bear at this point and the ghostly screams had been muffled into low moans of pain. It would be terribly foolish to continue onward: they were young students with limited magical abilities and if something bad happened down here, they were doomed.

"Come on," Regulus said impatiently as he pulled a very reluctant Lily forward. Perhaps he was more like his brother than she had initially believed…

Still, she didn't want to look like a coward in front of him; after all, she had one full year of magical education under her belt, while he was still a newbie at this. Judging by the pitch of the noises, they were growing closer, but with every step, Lily's sense of dread grew to alarmingly high levels. They were deeply within the base of the castle by now, and it was no wonder they stopped using these dungeons as classrooms: no student would ever get to class on time if they had to walk this far!

"There you go," Regulus murmured reassuringly as he helped her down a particularly steep and slippery step. Lily paused and smiled faintly at him; he was much more confident than she had originally perceived him to be, and in this situation, she was immensely grateful for that because she felt no trace of self-confidence whatsoever at the moment.

Finally, the passageway gave out to a large room. There were no windows in here, nor was there any source of light besides their wands. Ancient rotting desks lay upturned everywhere they could see, and judging by the black marks on the walls, there had been quite a few explosions in here in the past. The light layer of mist that rested just above the ground gave the room a very ominous aura, and Lily felt chills shooting up her spine as her mind absorbed her new surroundings. It was like that Muggle haunted house the neighbours once built, except this was fifty times scarier because Lily knew this room was the real deal.

"Hello?" Regulus called out, holding his lit wand higher as he took a few cautious steps forward into the room. Lily, not wanting to remain more than a couple feet away from Regulus, quickly followed. She held a death grip on her wand, so at the first sign of an attack, at least she would be ready, no matter how inadequate her duelling skills might be.

Suddenly, a single, ear-splitting shriek echoed across the room, making both of the kids jump. Lily could feel Regulus trembling as much as she was, and once they were in the middle of the room, she realized that she couldn't remember where the passageway in which they had come through was. Darkness had engulfed every inch of the room, save for the small area in which the two were occupying.

"You reckon there's a dementor in here?" Regulus whispered, his teeth chattering as he spoke.

"Maybe," Lily murmured, trying to concentrate on the strangled breathing sounds coming from her left. Her heart was literally launching itself against her chest with every beat, and she was waiting for the horrible moment where the monster or dementor or whatever it was would jump out at them and attack.

"This was a bloody awful idea," Lily hissed angrily, though she wasn't really mad at him for wanting to come down here, since it was both of their ideas to find out what the mysterious wails were. All of a sudden, for some inexplicable reason, tears sprang to her eyes and she felt an overwhelming desire to cry out in despair. It was more from the fear of awaiting their doom, rather than the fear of the thing itself, because every passing minute seemed like a lifetime, and the darkness grew thicker the longer they were in here.

"We should go," Regulus said in a scared voice. Gone was the confident boy whom had encouraged her to keep moving down the steps just a short while ago: Regulus was now more freaked out than Lily was.

"I agree…let's go—"

Just as Lily said the word 'go,' and turned around to leave, her foot struck something soft and squishy. She looked into Regulus' eyes for a long time to avoid looking down to see what it was, but after a while, something warm and sticky began seeping into her shoes, and the odour was positively horrendous.

_I've smelled that before_, Lily realized with a fresh wave of trepidation coming over her.

Biting her lip and closing her eyes, Lily lowered her wand and held it there for a very long time. Her eyelids seemed to have been glued shut temporarily, but she just _had_ to look. Her head dropped first, and then she opened her eyes…and screamed.

It was a human body completely covered in a layer of glistening blood. Dead or alive, neither of them could tell.

* * *

**A/N: **_Severus and Dumbledore make a pretty good team, don't they? If you think the boys got off too easily, just look at how Dumbledore punishes Gryffindors in canon. I mean, Sirius nearly killed Severus and didn't get expelled or anything horrible like that. Favouritism much?_

_And I apologize in advance if the next chapter seems rushed. I'm dying to get to the part where Lily executes her plan to get the locket back...it's a funny idea, in my opinion...any speculations?_

_As for the Lily & Regulus scene, I'm in the middle of rereading Chamber of Secrets and I initially had about two more paragraphs solely describing the creepiness of the spiders in the dungeons, but cut that out for the sake of progression. I hope you all have good imaginations, because mine went wild with that last scene. _

_As usual, any comments are appreciated! :)_


	20. Against the Odds

**A/N: **_Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry to those people I did not respond to, I promise I will for this chapter (life's been pretty busy lately if you can tell by the late update). I've set a goal for myself, though my odds of reaching it aren't exactly stellar: make it to chapter 30 before the HBP movie comes out. That's roughly a new chapter every three days. With your support, hopefully I can do it! :)_

* * *

"_Nooooooo!_"

Unable to take the madness of these nightmares any longer, Lily forced her deadweight eyelids to release her from this hellish darkness. She was completely covered in pools of her own sweat, and her heart was beating so quickly that she feared it would eventually give up in exhaustion. After several minutes of nonstop blinking and gasping for air, her fazed vision cleared and she saw that she was in the hospital wing. Judging by the faint light filtering through the windows on her right, it was around mid-morning.

_What a night,_ Lily groaned silently as she turned her attention from the impossibly beautiful scenery outside to the people sitting near her bed. Laika was slouching at the end of the mouldy mattress looking bored, and Narcissa was sitting on the bed next to Lily's where a still-unconscious Regulus was snoozing peacefully. For some unknown reason, Remus Lupin was also here, smiling at Lily as she came to her senses. _He couldn't have wanted to come here on his own, could he…?_

_Of course not._

Lily's heart wrenched at the sight of Severus standing off in a corner, brooding as usual. Oh _why_ did he have to come? Lily felt both frustrated and comforted by his presence; she wanted to call out to him, but words failed her. He had done enough for her lately, she didn't need to bother him with her troubles.

Last night, she had been certain that she would die in some brutal way or another, and that she would never see her friends again. Both Narcissa and Laika acknowledged her awakening with relieved smiles, but neither offered their comforts, as Severus would have…

"Oh you're awake!"

Madam Pomfrey was pleased to see that Lily was up by now, and immediately hustled over to her. Severus took notice of this as well and slowly made his way over to her bedside, though he stayed a careful distance from her as though she would bite him if he came any closer.

_He thinks I'm still furious at him,_ Lily thought tearfully. She wanted to reach out and beckon him closer to her, but it was as though there was an invisible barrier that kept her from doing so. Deep down, Lily knew she often discarded him like a useless toy, rather than a valuable friend, and now she was paying the price for such disloyalty. If he didn't want to come up to her, she wouldn't force him to.

Still, she noticed him watching her out of the corner of his eye, and when they made eye contact, he managed to give her a small smile.

"Now you'll need to have another flask of Pepper Up…and I think some chocolate would help…" Madam Pomfrey muttered as she continued fussing over Lily's pillows, much to her irritation.

"Why chocolate?"

"Oh, they use it for people who have been traumatized, particularly by dementors—"

"— so there _was_ a dementor in there last night?" Lily gasped, feeling sicker by the minute.

She looked worriedly over towards Regulus, who still hadn't woken up. Had he been attacked by the dementor? She didn't remember much about the night before except for the part when she discovered the bloodied body lying on the ground at her feet in that terrifyingly dark room.

"Of course not! There's never been dementors in the castle before…now mind you, I don't exactly know _what_ was in that room last night, but you and Mr. Black have obviously been through quite a lot, Miss Evans. _Oh would you please stop squirming?_" Pomfrey asked exasperatedly.

Lily crossed her arms and frowned impatiently as she waited for the woman to finish. Meanwhile Remus handed her a bit of chocolate, which she took but didn't eat.

"It's not poisonous," he smiled. Blushing embarrassedly, Lily nibbled at the end of the chocolate. Her insides warmed at once, and the frightening images that were once firmly implanted in her mind melted from her memory, leaving her with happy thoughts. Just as Madam Pomfrey finished up with her, Regulus stirred.

"What happened?" he asked in a hoarse voice. His hair was a little messy, and he was paler than usual— if that was even possible— but other than that, he looked fine. Narcissa, on the other hand, thought he was near-death and was so upset by the sight of her weakened cousin that she burst into tears. Regulus, not one for coddling, pushed her away when she tried hugging him and told her to shut up.

"I'm_ fine '_Cissy…just dazed…is Lily okay?"

"She's fine," Severus snapped at the younger boy. Lily looked up in surprise; this was the first time she had heard his voice in a few days, and it wasn't until now did she realize just how much she had missed him. There was something off about him, though…was that _jealousness_ she heard?

"Sev?"

Ignoring the fact that Madam Pomfrey would kill her for this, Lily jumped out of bed and flung her arms around Severus, hugging him harder than she ever had before.

It was very much like the time she had been in the hospital wing for the necklace incident, and once again, Lily had to beg for his forgiveness.

_Why can't I just be the perfect friend he deserves? _Lily thought as Severus awkwardly hugged her back. Even after all the fights they kept having, Severus kept coming back, even when she didn't deserve to be forgiven. Inwardly, Lily feared that she did not possess that kind of unwavering loyalty, and wondered what would happen if she ever drove Severus to his breaking point.

_I would never do that,_ Lily told herself firmly. _Sev is my best friend for the rest of eternity…nothing can ruin this friendship…_

**xXxXxXxXx**

As soon as Madam Pomfrey released Lily and Regulus, they had to report to Dumbledore's office. Lily didn't want to have to explain to the old headmaster what had happened the night before, but she didn't have a choice. After a quick round of goodbye hugs for her friends— even Remus— Lily followed Regulus up to the office.

Lily was thankful to hear that Dumbledore knew what had occurred, and only wanted a few details for his impending investigation of the upperclassmen.

According to him, the body Lily's foot had struck had been that of Melika Zula. Dumbledore asked Lily if she knew the girl well, and she replied that they were distant acquaintances. Somehow, Dumbledore didn't look convinced, but didn't press the issue, knowing that Lily was already emotionally harassed as it was.

Apparently the Gryffindor ghost, Nearly-Headless Nick, had heard them screaming in that abandoned Potions lab, and by the time he had floated into the right room, both Lily and Regulus had fainted. Nick informed Dumbledore at once, and the three students were transported to the hospital wing within a matter of minutes.

Melika's injuries had been so horrific that she was transported to St. Mungo's; she had been closer to death than life, but she somehow managed to keep breathing. Dumbledore believed that somebody had used the Cruciatus Curse on her repeatedly; he did not go as far as to inform the two how long he believed the Unforgivable Curse was performed for, which he guessed was in the range of fifteen minutes.

Dumbledore did tell them some of the truth, however**:** though he did not know the extent of the damages inflicted upon Melika's body, he was grimly aware that her mental state may never return to normal.

"Miss Zula will be a different person after this," Dumbledore said gravely, knowing that the details of such a tragedy were too much for two young students to grasp.

Lily felt horrendously disturbed by all this, and the fact that Dumbledore kept leaving out details frustrated her immensely. She had asked several questions, but the old headmaster had quieted her and told her that she was too young to understand such difficult matters. Meanwhile, Regulus was too shaken up to say anything. He felt tremendously guilty for getting his friend into this; after all, it was mostly his idea to keep going, and he had dragged Lily along even though she had wanted to turn back.

Once Dumbledore had squeezed every last tidbit of information he could procure from Lily and Regulus, he told them to return to their dormitories. Completely drained of any energy, both were glad to do so, and were secretly delighted to hear that Dumbledore would excuse them from their classes tomorrow so they could return to their normal lives.

Now the investigation would begin.

**xXxXxXxXx**

Three days after the attack— of which every person in the entire school knew about within a couple of hours— Dumbledore was down to his last suspects. Every fifth, sixth, and seventh year student from Slytherin had been forced to submit for questioning, lest they face expulsion for noncompliance. There was no doubt in Dumbledore's mind that the attacker had come from Slytherin; the scene of the crime was too convenient, being right across the hall from the Slytherin common room entrance, and he never knew of a Gryffindor or Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff who would do something so terrible to another human being. Of course, if he found no results from Slytherin, then he would indeed move on to the other houses.

He didn't question the younger students; no matter how Dark the families they came from were, no younger student was capable of this kind of Dark Magic. The inflictions upon the girl rivalled that of a skilled Dark wizard, not a mere student. This was what troubled Dumbledore the most.

There was also the possibility that it hadn't been a student at all. But this seemed highly unlikely. Dumbledore knew more about this castle than any other person in living memory…besides Voldemort, perhaps, but even then, Dumbledore knew more about Hogwarts than the man, having been here nearly eight times the years he'd been here. With the exception of a certain monster that required a master with the ability to speak Parseltongue, Dumbledore knew nothing could have harmed Miss Zula besides an exceptionally talented wizard.

His last suspect from the three highest years in Slytherin was Bellatrix Black. Dumbledore was not the judgemental type, but if anyone had attacked Miss Zula, Miss Black would be the first person that came to mind. And he was about to find out…

"Good evening Miss Black," he smiled calmly as Bellatrix yanked her way out of Professor McGonagall's grip and stormed into his office. She was obviously infuriated to have been called in for questioning, but she had no choice. Dumbledore would not bend the rules for any student, because if he did not find the culprit soon, then the Ministry would shut down the school to ensure the safety of the students. The _Daily Prophet_ had already run numerous stories of how Dumbledore was losing his touch and this latest act of violence in his school— although there hadn't been any major incidents since Tom Riddle left the school— would end Dumbledore's reign as headmaster once and for all.

"What is this about?" Bellatrix demanded, slamming her coarse black nails into Dumbledore's desk, creating dents in the wood. Minerva was outraged to see such blatant disrespect and muttered something under her breath about having a talk with Horace regarding the way their students treat authority.

"I'm sure you've heard, Miss Black, that one of our students was viciously assaulted a few days ago down in the abandoned Potions dungeons?"

Bellatrix's eyes flashed dangerously. "If you're accusing me, then—"

"—I have not made any accusations yet, Miss Black. I merely requested your presence this evening so we can have a little chat."

"I didn't do it."

"Of course not. How about a Lemon Drop?"

Bellatrix was not amused by the old man's eccentricities. "I'm not here to play games, Dumbledore. You are accusing me of harming a younger student. Go on then, why do you think I did it?"

Dumbledore was a little surprised by the lack of fear behind the girl's eyes, but he knew better to think for a second that she was a better Occlumens than he was Legilimens.

"Must I repeat myself, Miss Black? I have not accused you of anything. Every student has been asked to speak with me regarding this matter—"

"—what about your precious Gryffindors?" Bellatrix spat, unable to hide the sheer contempt she felt for Dumbledore and that Mudblood-loving house. "What about _them?_"

"They will come in as soon as I have cleared the Slytherins' names. The scene of the crime was closest to the Slytherin common room, therefore, I am to first assume it was a Slytherin who did this."

Bellatrix snorted doubtfully. "Well, I hope you catch the person who did it."

She hated the way his blue eyes bore through her mind over those half moon spectacles. How _dare_ he attempt to sneak into her mind! She put up her Occlumency shields at once; the old fool would not be allowed to see into her mind if Bellatrix had anything to say about it.

"Legilimency is unnecessary, Professor," she said coldly.

Dumbledore smiled serenely. "Very well Miss Black, then how about a little sip of this?"

"I'm not thirsty, sir," she replied, knowing fully well that the bottle in his withered hands contained Veritaserum.

"Miss Black, I'm afraid you do not have a say in this. To be perfectly honest, this method is much easier than the Wizengamot's interrogation techniques, which you would unfortunately have to submit to, should you refuse to this."

Bellatrix kicked the edge of Dumbledore's desk, trying to aggravate him, but he paid no attention to her actions.

"I beg you Miss Black, you truly did not commit the crime, then prove it to me."

He handed her the container of Veritaserum. Bellatrix's eyes flickered suspiciously from Dumbledore's grim expression to the vial, pondering her options.

"Every student so far has taken it. Please understand that I am looking out for your best interests. I do not wish for you to waste away in a prison cell while awaiting a trial by the Wizengamot, which may take several weeks."

Bellatrix's scowl deepened. Sure, the old man sounded convincing enough, but she knew he wouldn't just ask her about the attack…under the influence of Veritaserum, he could ask her…_anything._ He could ask as many questions as he wanted to, and she— against her will— would answer truthfully. What knowledge she could easily hide with Occlumency would become clear as day with a few drops of Veritaserum.

"My only mission is to learn of what happened to Miss Zula," Dumbledore said, reading her mind. "I will not ask you anything that does not pertain to this serious matter."

Bellatrix eyed him warily, but eventually slipped the cap off of the vial and held it to her nose. It was oddly odourless, though she knew it was much more powerful than it appeared. She still did not trust Dumbledore at all, so why should she listen to him now…?

With a screech of rage, Bellatrix flung the vial at a nearby wall as hard as she could. If it had connected with the wall, it would have shattered everywhere, but in the blink of an eye, McGonagall had Summoned it back, and Stunned Bellatrix before she could escape. Bellatrix screamed as she was knocked off of her feet, and within milliseconds, McGonagall had her pinned to the ground. Despite Bellatrix's murderous shrieks, McGonagall yanked the girl's hair back and easily shoved the potion down her throat as Dumbledore calmly watched the scene unfold before him. Unable to squirm free, Bellatrix tried kicking and lashing her claw-like nails at McGonagall, but soon found that someone— probably Dumbledore— had frozen her body and she couldn't move a muscle. Tears sprung at her eyes in this state of utmost helplessness; Bellatrix Black never gave up without a fight, and yet here she was, sitting on the ground at the mercy of her two most hated foes. It was both enraging and humiliating.

Her mind settled at once as the Veritaserum kicked in, and she felt as though someone had placed her under the Imperius Curse. Her thoughts were hazy and unclear, and in the distance, Dumbledore was asking her a question…

"Did you attack Melika Zula in any way, particularly the Cruciatus Curse?"

"I did not."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"_SILENCE!_"

At the sound of Professor Umbridge's magically magnified voice, every student in the Great Hall quieted at once. Students from all of the houses, first through third years, were gathered around a long stage in which Professor Umbridge was standing on, shimmering sickeningly in the spotlight.

Severus, James, Sirius, and Remus were on the Gryffindor side of the stage, wondering what in the world was going on. The air was buzzing with excitement, and even Umbridge's involvement in the night's unexpected event couldn't damper the younger students' enthusiasm. All they had been told was to bring their wands, upping the anticipation for the night's events.

"Students!" Umbridge began in a shrill voice, beaming at the Slytherins and glaring at the other three houses as she spoke. "As you all know, we had a tragic incident the other day here at Hogwarts, involving a young, defenceless girl."

Umbridge smiled, but it was not a sympathetic smile. While her articulate words certainly seemed remorseful for Melika's attack, her mannerisms proved the exact opposite. When her back was turned, Severus and Remus exchanged dubious looks, not so sure they liked where this was going…

"The girl's lack of defensive knowledge has now landed her in St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, and as your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, it is my duty to teach you more than just basic theory, but an assortment of defensive spells that will prevent such accidents from occurring again."

She let out a small cough and pulled out her wand before continuing: "Professor Dumbledore has instructed me to teach you how to duel properly. Now—" Umbridge sighed dramatically and absentmindedly twirled her hair with her wand, "— I am not receiving compensation for this, and I assure you I have much more important things to do with my free time…"

James snorted loudly, which earned him a rather terrifying glare from Umbridge.

"_But_…I have kindly agreed to do this anyway. After all, keeping my young pupils safe is of utmost importance to me."

"Who's going to duel, Professor?" a few Hufflepuff third year boys called out.

Umbridge grinned menacingly and suddenly turned her attention to Severus. He stared back at her, unable to believe that in a sea of hundreds of students, she had chosen _him. _People on all sides of the stage craned their necks to see her latest victim; Severus tried backing away and blending into the masses of students, but was harshly shoved forward by a few Slytherin prefects whom Umbridge had employed to keep order during this evening's duelling lesson.

"How about you, Mr. Snape?" Umbridge asked sweetly, though her ghastly hazel eyes were still narrowed into furious little slits. Severus shook his head and tried to run away, but the prefects were pushing him closer to the mad woman. Much to his displeasure, one of them was Lucius Malfoy, who wore an unmistakable look of glee on his face at Severus' impending doom.

"You don't wish to participate, Snape? Well, since you seem to know everything about defensive magic already, this ought to be a breeze for you."

She held out her arm, gesturing him forward to the stage, but he remained frozen in place. He wasn't sure what was making him feel nauseous: the amount of pink she was wearing or the fact that she was beckoning him to stand up there with her in front of half the school. Or maybe it was that rancid cologne Malfoy was wearing…

"Come now, Snape, we don't have all night," she hissed viciously. "You know, I would have been a little more lenient if you haven't been skipping my classes! Ah well, I suppose you must learn the hard way now…"

Before Severus could pull away from her, Malfoy shoved him forward as painfully as he could, hissing a sarcastic "have fun" in his ear just as she latched onto his arm— piercing through his robes with her abnormally sharp nails— and yanked him onto the stage with the strength of a giant.

Once onstage, the Slytherins hooted and jeered at him, though the worst of it came when someone even went as far as to trip him as Umbridge jostled him along to the end of the platform; Severus, having always been on the clumsy side, fell right on to his face, much to the enjoyment of the Slytherins. He stayed in that position for a long time, not wanting to stand up and show his humiliation to the masses of chaotic students around him. Bedlam erupted all around him: he could hear Lily's strained voice trying to shut the Slytherins up off to his left, and the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were screaming insults at the Slytherins along with the Gryffindors now. Figuring that he had more allies than enemies in here, Severus slowly picked himself up and at least managed to get to his knees. Umbridge was still grinning cruelly down at him, and at that moment he realized that _she _had tripped him.

As Severus got to his feet, it took every ounce of patience he possessed not to pull out his wand and hex the woman with every curse he knew. Never before had he felt so embarrassed, but that feeling was quickly dissolving into rage. He loathed the way Umbridge watched him; it was like she was feeding off of his mortification, and she only looked away from him when she felt he had nothing left to give.

"_SILENCE!_"

Her scream echoed throughout the entire Great Hall, and at once, the brawling and insulting and physical fighting stopped. Severus looked over at his friends: James and Sirius had tackled Malfoy and a fellow prefect, and even Remus had gotten so deeply into the fight that he had a black eye and bloodied lip. Lily, on the other hand, had not gotten involved, but instead looked close to tears. She knew how awful that must have been for her friend, but there was nothing she could do when her entire house was against him. Regulus Black was looking immensely satisfied to have witnessed his stumble; never had Severus felt the urge to kick someone in the face as he did now.

Ignoring the band of sneering Slytherins, he numbly followed Umbridge to the end of the stage and awaited instructions. Had he been more of a hothead like James, he probably would have slaughtered Umbridge to pieces by now, but somehow he had remained calm and obeyed her demands.

"Are you going to fight him Professor?" Laika Malfoy called out in a hopeful tone. Severus didn't bother glaring at her, knowing that this would only increase her entertainment.

"Of course not. That would not be fair, would it?"

She turned to face Severus.

"No...Snape will be facing...a _student_."

She snapped her fingers high above her head, and for a moment, Severus thought he had been granted a reprieve. He was wrong.

Out of the Slytherin crowd arose a girl. She was short and chubby, and for some reason, she looked oddly familiar…

_She's not a second year!_ Severus thought in horror as he recognized the face of Dolores Umbridge, the Head Girl and daughter of the current Defense teacher, walking towards him, with her wand out.

As expected, the three non-Slytherin houses began protesting at once: pitting a second year against a seventh year in a practice duel was sheer madness. Severus felt a rush of pride for his house; at least Gryffindor wasn't hated by the other houses like Slytherin was. Although the odds were definitely stacked against him— unless Umbridge somehow levelled the playing field, which was highly unlikely at the moment— perhaps he would get through this after all. He had the support of his friends and loads of other students were on his side; what did he have to lose?

As the candles dimmed on the outskirts of the platform, Professor Umbridge backed away into a safe area, leaving her daughter and Severus alone on the brightly-lit stage, with all eyes on them. Dolores undoubtedly knew how to duel, and Severus, vaguely remembering the rules of wizard's duels, mimicked her movements from bowing to retreating. He kept checking over his shoulder as he walked down to his end, worried that some horrendous spell would destroy him any second. But Darcy Umbridge was a professor, surely she would at least lay some ground rules before starting?

"One…_two…_"

"Wait! How do I duel _her_?!" Severus yelled at her furiously just before the word "three" left her fat lips. The hall was so quiet that his words echoed for several seconds, smacking his failure into his face with every repetition. He had duelled James before, but that was back at the beginning of first year, and even with one year of experience under his belt, he was still doomed against someone with five more years of training.

"Oh, you'll see. I'm certain this will be a valuable learning experience for you," Professor Umbridge sneered at him before crying, "THREE!"

Panicked, Severus whipped out his wand and looked up at his oncoming challenger. No spells came to him, he simply stood there. If the murderous expression on Dolores' face was anything to go by, this was going to be a _very_ painful duel…

* * *

**A/N: **_If you want to kill Dolores' mum now, just wait. She gets worse, unfortunately. As for the scene between Minerva and Bellatrix: before DH, I predicted Minerva would kill Bellatrix. Imagine how disappointed I was when **Molly** **Weasley** killed her. Ugh!_

_Anyway, I hope you all liked this chapter (though feel free to point out things you didn't like), and if some parts seemed a bit rushed, it's because I'm trying to cut back on the overload of details (my main writing weakness). If things go as planned (they usually don't), second year will be done somewhere in between chapters 30 and 35. _

_Reviews are appreciated, even constructive criticism!! :)_


	21. Victories and Discoveries

**A/N: **_I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed last chapter, I appreciate each and every one of them! :)_

_This chapter is short, but the next chapter is very long, so I suppose they balance each other out. Enjoy~_

* * *

Severus knew it was coming: Dolores' chubby lips were moving, but he could not hear what spell it was over the roar of the crowd surrounding him. It was as though everything was being played in slow-motion before his very eyes, and his mind simply wasn't registering the urgency of the situation. Her wand was pointed directly at his face, and he could see a jet of light forming at the tip of it, but he still had no defensive spells ready, let alone a counterattack.

From the Gryffindors' side, he could hear his friends screaming for him to do something..._anything!_ Dolores was going to tear him to shreds, and Professor Umbridge, who was currently cheering on her daughter just a few feet away from Severus, would do nothing to stop it. Judging by the tone of her maniacal shouts of encouragement, she was actually _hoping_ that Dolores would totally and utterly destroy him.

Severus did not know what he had done that had ticked her off, but he highly doubted that he deserved anything as horrible as this. With just a couple of milliseconds to go until his doom, he held up his wand, but his mind was too distracted by the deafening noise to formulate a plan of attack.

The bright blue jet struck him squarely in the chest, and he flew backwards, flipping over in the air at least three times before gravity kicked in and he painfully reunited with the ground. The Slytherins screamed their delight at seeing him lying face-first on the stage again, and much to his infuriation, he could hear Umbridge cheerfully providing her own commentary in the background.

"And _that_ students, is the worst example of defensive magic I have seen in years...what a pity, he can't even block the simplest of spells..."

"_Sev get out of the way!_" he heard Lily shriek somewhere in the crowd on his left. He looked up: another spell was already on its way. Dolores had waited a few seconds before striking again; not to give Severus time to recover, but to allow her mother just enough time to disgrace him with snappy comments regarding his supposedly nonexistent duelling abilities.

"— what terrible form...just look at that stance! Oh dear, here comes a Stunner…"

Severus, having been preoccupied with Umbridge's remarks, lost his focus, and soon found himself hurtling through the air once more. The impact this time was agonizingly painful, as one of his legs had gotten crushed underneath his body once he landed. He felt a crack in the bone near his right shin, and his body trembled violently from the extreme pain shooting up from his lower limb. His breathing was shallow and he wanted to cry out for Professor Umbridge to end this torture, but he knew that neither Umbridge slow up just because he was injured.

"—now watch and learn why those with slow reflexes don't stand a chance against highly-skilled duellers..."

_I'll show you slow reflexes,_ Severus thought angrily, trying to block out her patronizing tone and focus on the task ahead of him. He did not bother getting up from the ground— knowing he would not be able to support himself on just one leg— but this wasn't going to stop him from trying to protect himself. He wasn't sure what kind of spell that was, though he knew from the purplish glow that it was actually a curse. Relying solely on instinct, he whipped out his wand and shouted the first thing that came to mind.

"_PROTEGO!_"

The curse bounced off of his invisible shield just centimetres from his face, and returned in the direction of its caster. Dolores had not been prepared for such a quick reaction, and was soon hit by the spell directly in the face. She was sent rocketing upwards— screaming all the way— and only when she was just a couple of feet from the tip of the enchanted ceiling did she begin hurtling towards the ground. Due to her excessive weight, the wooden stage splintered and cracked beneath her bum upon landing until she finally fell through with a deafening _thud._

The entire hall immediately fell silent, unable to comprehend what had just happened. The Slytherins were utterly stunned to see that their beloved Head Girl had been beaten by a spell as simple as _Protego_, and the other three houses couldn't believe that Severus had actually held his ground, rather than running away as most of them would have done.

_I guess I have more Gryffindor in me than I thought,_ Severus mused to himself as the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws all burst into applause. Only one person from Slytherin was cheering, he noted with a smile: Lily.

James and Sirius, ignoring the rules regarding outsiders in wizards' duels, jumped onto the stage at once and pulled him to his feet. Once Severus steadied himself on his only good leg and faced the mob of newfound supporters, they broke into another explosion of applause, which even droned out Darcy's panicked screaming. Down at the other end, the Slytherin prefects were forced to manually pull Dolores' unconscious body out of the enormous fissure in the platform; it probably didn't help that their leader was hysterical beyond control and kept impeding their rescue efforts.

"I personally would have used the _Petrificus Totalus_, but I suppose that worked too," James had to yell over the crowd's animated chants of "Severus! Severus!"

Severus shrugged it off, too exhilarated for words at the moment. It had been the shortest duel ever, and while he was pretty sure he had fractured a rib or two (in addition to his swollen leg), he felt happier than he had felt in a long time. It was quite a change from how he had felt just ten minutes ago, when Professor Umbridge had tripped him in front of everyone and he never wanted to show his face to the world again. Now he was sort of like a..._hero._

**xXxXxXxXx**

"I dunno, Sev...you may be Gryffindor's hero for now, but there may be a new one after this Saturday."

Severus looked up from the book he was reading and rolled his eyes. James was at it again: flexing his muscles and admiring himself in the mirror, something he had been obsessed with lately.

It had been two days since Severus' victory over Dolores, and the Gryffindors were still treating him like he was the greatest person on the planet. Personally, Severus hated it, but was glad to have friends like Sirius and James, who gladly soaked up all of the attention for him. The entire school had learned of his amazing feat by now, and even the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws respected him. It was bizarre being liked by so many people; having always been a bit of an outcast, Severus was used to being ignored by everyone, and not the other way around. Some of the first years had even asked him for autographs.

"Yep, a new champion for Gryffindor," James continued in his typical self-absorbed tone. "You're coming to watch my moment of glory, aren't you?"

"Of course," Severus replied in a dull voice, then returned to his reading.

Severus didn't care much for Quidditch, which had been the only thing on James' mind lately. Tryouts were on Saturday, and he was determined to make the team this year, saying that Potters _always_ made the team before third year. He already had an excellent broom waiting for him at Quality Quidditch Supplies, which was one of the family businesses. All he needed to do now was make the team.

"That's right. Both you and Remus are coming...you two seriously need to get outside more...Sirius is trying out of course, but since he probably won't make it, I'll need you to be my number one supporter...hey, do you think I should do more push ups? My biceps are looking a little smaller than usual..."

Severus couldn't believe how arrogant his friend could be sometimes. He was just twelve years old and already concerning himself with his physique. Honestly, it's just _Quidditch_. For the record, Severus would be going to watch no matter what, but only because he wanted to be a good friend. Pretending that he was genuinely enjoying himself would be a whole different matter...

**xXxXxXxXx**

"So...any ideas yet?"

Lily looked up at Regulus: he looked just as bored as she felt. She sighed and shook her head. While they had intended for this to be a productive brainstorming session, the lack of any logical plans had made it a complete waste of time. They had been staring at each other for nearly two hours now, trying to come up with a plan to get the Malfoys' locket back from Dumbledore's office, but so far the task appeared impossible to accomplish.

It had been worse when Lily was by herself, and was grateful that Lucius allowed her to tell Regulus so that he could assist her. So far, however, he wasn't much of a help. Whenever Lily would get frustrated and say they should just charge into the office and nab the locket— ignoring the consequences, of course— Regulus quietly reminded her that only Gryffindors did idiotic things like that, and they were back to zero.

"We obviously can't get in without some sort of concealment," Regulus said after several minutes of concentrated silence.

"You mean we need to be...invisible?"

Regulus considered this for a moment, then nodded. "That way, if Dumbledore suddenly shows up, we can just wait until he's distracted, then leave completely undetected."

"So how do we become invisible?"

"Invisibility Cloaks work—"

"Do you know anyone with an Invisibility Cloak?"

"Well...no," Regulus admitted, feeling a little irritated with Lily's pessimism. "Do you?"

"Well...Laika _did_ have one, but Filch confiscated it," Lily sighed again. Sometimes she wished that Lucius would just get the locket himself, so she could just ignore the problem and enjoy her free time. But the image of Melika's almost-dead body kept trickling into her thoughts, and she couldn't help but worry if her friends would meet the same fate if the locket wasn't delivered to its original owner...whoever that person was...

She wished Severus was here. He would know what to do, but the only problem was that he wouldn't approve of the mission Lily and Regulus were trying to complete. Their friendship was already shaky enough as it was, and getting him involved in something without telling him the truth would only shatter his trust in her.

_But Severus did tell me something about invisibility one time…was it something about a potion or…no! No, it was something about a cloak…_

"Potter has a cloak," Lily said suddenly. "Potter has a cloak!"

Much to her dismay, Regulus did not look very excited by this, but rather skeptical.

"Reg! Potter has a cloak!"

"I heard you the other two times...but there's one little problem: how would we get it?"

Lily's shoulder's drooped. Damn Regulus and his pragmatic thinking!

"I don't know...he probably keeps it somewhere safe, though."

"My guess would be his trunk...everyone keeps their important things in there...too bad we'd have to be in Gryffindor to get it..."

_I could ask Sev…wait, no I couldn't. There's no way he would steal from his friend…_

They'd have to be Gryffindors to get inside...somehow Lily thought there could be an exception to that. Surely students of other houses have gotten inside in the past? Heck, she _knew_ the current password, thanks to Severus; what would stop her from going inside?

_People would know I'm not in Gryffindor._

"But what if we _become_ Gryffindors?" Lily pondered aloud.

Regulus looked up, expecting this to be just another crazy idea. "Huh?"

"We _become _Gryffindors!" Lily repeated excitedly. "Reg, don't you realize how perfect that would be?"

"Er...no."

"Library!"

"What?!"

Regulus didn't have much time to protest as Lily grabbed his arm and jerked him out of the room, sprinting at top speed down the corridor that led to the school's library. He had no idea where this idea had come from, and although Lily sounded pretty confident, he didn't see how it would be possible. Honestly, _become_ Gryffindors? Unless they were Resorted or something, they were Slytherins for _life_.

"Uh, Lily?" Regulus tried pulling his arm out of her grasp, but it was no use: Lily had a plan and nothing could stop her now.

They were both completely out of breath by the time they reached the library, but when Regulus tried slowing down, Lily tugged on his arm and pulled him into the Potions section.

_Huh?_

"Lily?" Regulus tried sounding as gentle as he could, but his patience was wearing thin at this point, "—what's going on?"

Lily continued searching the shelves for several seconds before backing away, frowning. "It's not here."

"What's not? Lily, could you _please_ tell me what's going through that thick skull of yours?"

"Polyjuice Potion. Slughorn told us about it last week...he said that when you drink it, you're transformed into someone else."

Regulus' eyes widened. "You mean we would turn into someone from Gryffindor? But what if it's permanent?"

"It's not...though actually; you don't need to use it at all."

"Why not?"

"Reg, you're the splitting image of Sirius! You could just pretend that you're him!"

"That's a lot harder than it sounds," Regulus mumbled quietly, though it did sound like a brilliant plan. "So...if you're using the Polyjuice...who would you be?"

Lily grinned.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Oh come on, where are you?" Lily muttered under her breath.

It had been over an hour since Slughorn had gratefully accepted her offer of cleaning out his potions cabinet, which hadn't been organized in years. Normally he wouldn't trust students near his own supplies, but seeing that Lily was a charming young girl and undoubtedly his favourite student, he had allowed her inside. Her thoughtful gift of crystallized pineapple didn't hurt, either.

Lily tried to do as much as she could with magic, but quickly found that her magical cleaning abilities were nearly nonexistent and was forced to complete much of the task manually. It was worth it, however: instead of risking a break-in to the restricted section of the library— not to mention a month's wait for the brewing process— she was going to steal some of Slughorn's pre-brewed Polyjuice Potion. All she had to do was find it first.

"Aha!"

Here was the Polyjuice Potion, in a cauldron at the very back of the room, hiding in a corner. Lily had passed it four times already, and only now did she realize what potion it was. She excitedly pulled a small bottle out of her robe's pocket and gently scooped up a healthy sample of the gurgling liquid. By the looks of it, the potion was hardly what she'd consider delicious, but she didn't care.

She and Severus had been working on the day's lesson together, so getting a hair had been no problem. Sure, Severus wasn't too pleased when she 'accidentally' got her bracelet stuck in his hair, but after apologizing profusely, he had forgiven her for her clumsiness.

Not only that, but she had found a perfect day: Saturday. Apparently Gryffindor was having its Quidditch tryouts, and nearly everyone in the house was attending the event. Severus invited Lily to come along, but she quickly made up an excuse about a library date with Regulus.

Severus had not been pleased by this, but didn't tell Lily. _Merlin_, he hated Regulus. Lily was _always_ doing something with the git, and never seemed to have time for him, Severus anymore. He couldn't see what was so great about him anyway. The only advantage Regulus could possibly have over him was that he was in the same house as Lily. But he definitely seemed to be lacking in the intelligence department— from Severus' point of view, anyway— and he would probably prove to be a negative influence on Lily later on if Sirius' descriptions of him were accurate.

Back in the dungeons, Lily had finally finished up, and left a nice note on Slughorn's desk, thanking him for his invitation to join his 'Slug Club.' The first meeting was in two weeks, and she was thrilled to hear that he had invited Severus as well.

There were just three days to go until she and Regulus executed their plan, and Lily could not believe how lucky she had been so far. She could only hope that her luck would hold out— Severus must _never_ find out what she was doing...

* * *

**A/N: **_Kudos to anyone who caught the reference to the curse that had hit Hermione in OotP (in the DoM, obviously). Next chapter will be **really **fun to write, and I sincerely hope you all enjoy it as much as I do. _

_.....9 chapters and 30 days to go....._

_As always, I appreciate any and all reviews :)_


	22. Polyjuice Potion

**A/N: **_Sorry that took so long. I went on a short vacation and had minor foot surgery (couldn't make it up the stairs to my computer!), but now I'm back. Sorry about the "9 chapters" confusion. I won't be getting to chapter 30 by the HBP premiere, but oh well. And by the way, this story will have WAY more than 30 chapters ;)_

_Thank you if you reviewed last chapter, I always appreciate your support! Enjoy~_

* * *

"Lily, hurry up!"

"I— I don't think this is such a good idea anymore."

"You're backing out?!"

"No...just give me a minute, okay?"

With a hugely impatient sigh, Regulus sat on the ground and glared at the door that led to the girl's bathroom. While it had been easy for him to sneak out of the common room without anyone noticing the small change in his appearance, Lily wanted to wait until they were closer to Gryffindor Tower before downing the Polyjuice Potion. The only problem now was that she couldn't bring herself to drink the vile concoction, and when Regulus threatened to go in there and force it down her throat, she had magically sealed the door shut.

"It's now or never, Lily, and I'm not going alone!"

"Fine! I'm drinking it..._agh! _This is _horrible!_"

Suddenly, Lily stopped talking. Regulus pressed his ear closer to the door and heard her choking.

"Lily? Are you alright?" he asked, trying to muffle the panic in his voice.

"Not...sure," Lily wheezed from the other side.

Regulus looked down at his watch: it was currently nine o'clock in the morning; the Gryffindors' tryouts wouldn't be over for several hours, but they were getting a head start anyway. The night before, they had asked Lucius to Transfigure their silver and green scarves into gold and maroon scarves. He didn't bother asking why they had suddenly become supporters of Gryffindor, and finished within two minutes. Regulus was worried that the older boy would tell Bellatrix that he was going down the same path as Sirius, but there was no time to explain the situation, so he could deal with the consequences later. Everything thus far was going according to plan; Regulus could only hope that their luck would hold out.

Finally, after a full minute of nonstop gagging, there was silence.

"So...how do you look?"

Her response was an ear-splitting shriek.

_Uh-oh._

"Is it that bad?" Regulus asked tentatively. Lily didn't respond, which prompted Regulus to immediately fear the worst. Had it gone horribly wrong? Did she look like some grotesque alien-like monster? Or had it actually worked and she was simply horrified with the results?

_Not my problem,_ Regulus told himself firmly. After all, a couple of days ago, he had suggested for her to steal a hair from one of the older girls in Gryffindor, but Lily had insisted upon going as the Snape boy.

"_I know Sev better than he knows himself," _Lily had proudly informed him, though somehow Regulus doubted this. Even then, she would have a _much_ easier time staying in-character than he would. Sirius was an ardent risk-taker with an ego the size of Mount Everest…Regulus, on the other hand, was the exact opposite of his brother. He didn't enjoy making a fool of himself, which he was going to have to do if he wished to accurately portray Sirius. Too bad he couldn't have gone as that Lupin kid.

"So, uh, Lily…coming out any time soon?"

There was no response.

_Apparently she didn't realize how many differences there are between girls and boys,_ Regulus mused.

"Lily, _come on_, we don't have all day!"

"I can't go out in public like this," Lily whispered from the other side of the door. There was a noticeable change in her voice; it was lower and the girlish pitch was completely absent.

Regulus smiled smugly. _That's what you get for choosing someone as ugly as Snape._

"Well, you're stuck like that for an hour anyway…_and_ nobody will know it's you…except me. But I think you're much prettier than Snape, so—"

Regulus trailed off as Lily opened the door, unable to believe his eyes.

"You really think I'm pretty?" Lily asked, beaming. Regulus' flattering comment had subdued her panicking for a few moments— enough to get her to come out of the bathroom, at least— but her smile dissolved into a scowl once she noticed his reaction to her new appearance.

Unable to control the constricted feeling in his chest, Regulus fell to his knees and burst into laughter. Lily's pleased expression distorted into one of pure loathing, and if Regulus didn't know it was really her, he would have thought the person in front of him was preparing to murder him.

"Oh shut up will you?!" Lily yelled at him. She had not drawn her wand yet, but she swore that if Regulus kept this up, she would resort to drastic measures. Had the situation been any different, he would have understood what an awkward position Lily was in and quit mocking her, but the way in which her voice cracked when she spoke was too hilarious to ignore.

"Your— your _voice_…" Regulus managed to choke out. Had it truly been Severus Snape standing in front of him, it wouldn't have been funny at all. However, seeing his best female friend as a _boy_, let alone one as ugly as _Snape_…she was never going to live this down!

Infuriated by Regulus' blatant mockery, Lily grabbed him by the collar and lifted him to his feet with surprising strength. Ignoring the urge to throttle him to death, she violently shook him until he managed to shut up.

"_Regulus_ _Arcturus_ _Black_, if I hear one more noise out of you, I'll hex your sorry ass all the way to Antarctica! Understood?"

Regulus had never seen Lily look so fierce before, though perhaps it was the creepy new face contorted with rage that scared him. Or maybe it was the way the black eyes glared at him as though they were trying to burn a hole through his skull. And, he noted, Snape was much stronger than Lily. Wanting to avoid further conflict, he nodded numbly as she shoved his wand back into his hand and they began their trek up to Gryffindor tower. Just as they rounded the corner, Lily ran into someone and fell to the ground.

"Severus?"

It was a girl's voice.

"And..._Sirius_? I thought you two were going down to the Quidditch tryouts."

Lily looked at Regulus out of the corner of her eye; he looked just as panicked as she felt. Apparently he didn't recognize the plump redhead either.

"I'm not good at Quidditch," Regulus mumbled under his breath, forgetting the person whom he was trying to impersonate. Lily jabbed him harshly in the ribs as though to say: _Sirius thinks he's good at everything!_

The girl hadn't heard Regulus, but she clearly noticed that something was up. "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine!" Lily said far too quickly. "I just…you know...I _hate_ Quidditch...and he's not feeling very well, so we'll just be going now..."

"But you promised everyone you'd go!" the redhead called after her. Much to Regulus and Lily's frustration, she was following them to the portrait. "And Sirius! You've been saying for days that you're going to be the greatest Chaser Gryffindor has ever seen. Now you're not going to tryout at all?"

Lily could see Regulus internally struggling to maintain his Sirius-status, but he was not a good actor, nor was he the type to strut around as though he were king of the school.

Without thinking, Lily suddenly said: "Sirius, I think you should still go. It's your dream to make the team isn't it?"

Regulus looked at her, wide-eyed. "What?!"

Lily smiled grimly and faced the redhead once more, who was looking more baffled than ever. "We'll be right down; Sirius here just needs to get his equipment ready. Isn't your broom in the dorm?"

"No..."

"_Yes it is_," Lily replied tersely, resisting the urge to slap him across the face for being such a dunderhead in such a precarious situation. "I saw it last night…we'll meet you down there in um, an hour or so," she added to the girl as she turned to face the Fat Lady and muttered the password: "_Gillyweed_."

The portrait did not swing open, however.

_Sev told me that was the password! _Lily fumed. "_Gillyweed_! Why won't you open?"

"That's not the password, dear," the Fat Lady smiled sweetly down at the kid whom she thought was Severus Snape. "Changed yesterday."

"It's _Quidditch_," the redhead replied from behind the two imposters, and the portrait swung open. Lily and Regulus hustled inside at once, leaving behind a very confused Molly Prewett.

"That was close," Lily whispered as they casually strolled through the common room, trying to appear as normal as possible to the older students whom had stayed behind to study for exams, rather than watch the tryouts. "You need to think more like Sirius—"

"That's not too hard, considering he hardly _ever_ thinks," Regulus replied with a smirk. "So where's their dormitory?"

"I think it's this one."

"No, I think that's the girls' dormitory."

"No it's not, look! If this is the girls' dorm, then why am I able to go up?" Lily asked, jumping up and down one the steps to prove her point.

"Because you _are_ a girl," Regulus said exasperatedly. Noticing a group of older Gryffindor boys giving him strange looks, he blushed furiously and added: "I mean...you _act_ like a girl."

Lily glared at him. "Are you coming or not?"

"I..." Regulus didn't have enough time to respond. Girls' voices were floating down the stairway, growing closer and closer every second. If they found Lily (whom they would assume was Snape) walking up to their dormitory, they would go ballistic.

"Quick!" he grabbed Lily's wrist and yanked her away from the stairway. Luckily for Regulus, he managed to hide behind a nearby door, but as Lily tried to frantically escape, she tripped herself and fell to the ground. The group of three seventh-year girls, upon exiting the stairway, dropped their conversation and walked over to help Lily to her feet.

"Hi Severus," two of the girls gushed flirtatiously, making Lily gag inwardly.

"Get away from me," she muttered angrily as she tried shoving the girls away from her, but they wouldn't let her go. Somewhere behind the portrait of Godric Gryffindor, she heard Regulus snickering.

"I saw you go down to the Quidditch pitch with Sirius and James; what happened?"

"Aww, Quidditch is too easy for Sev," the chubby blonde girl giggled.

_Hey, __**I'm**__ the only person who may call Sev that!_ Lily thought angrily, resisting the desire to kick the creepy girl away from her.

"Are you alright?" the eldest girl asked calmly, helping Lily steady herself on her feet, though she would have preferred it if they would just leave her alone.

"No, I'm actually quite ill," Lily snapped irritably as she swatted their hands away from her. "Now I'm feeling ready to vomit, so if you don't move out of my way…well, don't say I didn't warn you."

The three girls gasped and darted away, though the irksome blonde still had the nerve to say "Bye Sev!" as she left.

"Don't say a word," Lily threatened Regulus as he came out of his hiding place with an unmistakeable smirk on his face.

"Lucky..."

Lily whirled around to face him. Having three people of the same sex flirting with her had put her in a _very_ bad mood, and she wasn't going to stand for Regulus' stupid little comments. "Oh, and I suppose that you would enjoy it if someone, say, Lucius Malfoy started flirting with _you_? Would you?!"

Regulus grimaced. "I suppose not. But that brunette girl was—"

"_Shut up!_"

**xXxXxXxXx**

James Potter was in his element: the crowd was cheering, fangirls were chanting his name, and best of all, the captain of Gryffindor's Quidditch team had just announced that he would be joining the team as one of the three Chasers. It was a brilliant moment indeed; even Sirius' foul attitude couldn't spoil it for him.

"I can't believe the tryouts are already over!" he exclaimed loudly once Severus and Sirius had dragged him a safe distance away from the pitch. The tryouts weren't exactly over just yet; fifteen boys were currently in line to show off their Beater abilities, and the ultra-exciting position of Seeker was currently open. A whopping total of thirty four boys and girls from Gryffindor awaited their chance to go for that glorious spot, but Severus was in no mood to continue watching now that his friend's portion of the tryouts was over. Sirius, having not made the team this year, was even more desperate to get away from Quidditch arena and to someplace quiet where he could beat the shit out of something.

"It's still early on, why don't we stay a while?" James pleaded them, but Severus and Sirius continued tugging him back to the castle.

Severus knew Lily was busy today— doing what, he did not know— but he hoped to at least get some studying done in the library before dinner.

"Can you believe I made the team?" James asked for the billionth time that morning. "Can you honestly believe I _made it?_"

"No, I can't. Truly astonishing. Fantastic. Congratulations," Severus muttered under his breath.

James was one of the most arrogant people he knew, and just when he thought he couldn't get any worse, he did. Although he loathed Quidditch with a burning passion, Severus couldn't help but feel sorry for Sirius. He had certainly tried his best, but it appeared that his only objective was to have fun out there, rather than settling down and focusing on scoring goals, as James did. Severus admired James' surprising ability to concentrate solely on the task ahead of him when he was playing Quidditch; he only wished that he could say the same for him and his studies.

"Hi boys," a cheery voice greeted them as they entered the castle.

"Hey Molly! Guess who Gryffindor's next greatest Chaser is?"

Molly rolled her eyes and smiled. "You?"

"That's right!" James shouted excitedly. "I made the team!"

_Don't hit him...don't hit him...don't hit him,_ Severus silently repeated to himself several times.

Molly also smiled at Sirius and Severus. "So you two decided to go after all?"

The two boys exchanged confused glances.

"We've been down there all morning," Severus replied suspiciously. "Why do you ask?"

Molly was puzzled too. "But you told me you were feeling ill...I just saw you thirty minutes ago, remember?"

"What?!"

**xXxXxXxXx**

"What's that noise?"

"What noise?"

"That...hissing."

Lily looked up from Potter's trunk and saw none other than Hairy, Severus' kitty, sitting on the bed opposite to her, looking cross.

"Hairy!" she grinned and reached out for the cat, but apparently it was no mood to be friendly. Its sharp claws peeled into her skin like miniature daggers and she jerked away at once. "Ouch!"

"What is it?" Regulus whispered.

"It's Sev's cat...we found him over the summer...you know, I thought he liked me," she added disappointedly.

"Lily...I think it knows you're not Snape."

"For the _trillionth_ time, could you please just call him Sev? Severus, at least?"

"Lily it knows you're an imposter," Regulus repeated, ignoring Lily's previous comment. "Quick, Stun him or something."

"I would _never_ Stun a poor defenceless kitten! Especially not this adorable one!"

"Lily!"

Just as Regulus yelled, Hairy launched himself at Lily, hissing and meowing angrily as he attacked every inch of her face that he could reach. Lily shrieked for him to get off of her, but Hairy got a few of his claws imbedded in her skin, and couldn't come off anyway.

"Stun him! Stun him!" Lily screamed as tiny spurts of blood flecked across her face. She knocked several things over as she scurried around in panic, but she didn't care at the moment. Her only objective now was to get the damn animal off of her.

"Hang on!" Regulus shouted as he pulled out his wand and shakily pointed it at her face. One wrong move and Lily would end up with more than just facial scars…

"_Stupefy!_"

The cat meowed loudly upon the impact of the spell, but at least he was blasted off. Lily immediately stumbled to the ground and clutched her face in agony.

"Bloody cat...I'm going to get you for that," she whispered wrathfully to the unconscious animal.

"Uh Lily?"

She looked up. Regulus initially flinched at the sight of blood and tears streaming down his friend's face, but figured it wouldn't be such a good idea to reveal just how terrible her injuries were just yet…

"You only have about ten minutes left."

Lily gasped and leaped to her feet. "Quick! We need to find it before I change back!"

"Actually, I already found it," Regulus replied coolly, holding up a silvery blue cloak. "With _this_," he added with a smirk as he held up a rather worn teddy bear. "According to the tag, his name is 'Mr. Cuddles.'"

Lily grinned deviously. "Potter still sleeps with his ickle teddy? Adorable..."

"Let's go—"

"What's going on in here?"

Lily almost screamed at the sight of Remus Lupin entering the room. Luckily, Regulus had heard him coming up the stairs just in time, and currently stood frozen underneath the Invisibility Cloak. To Remus, it would only look like it was him and 'Severus' in the room.

"Nothing. I just...my cat...attacked me," Lily ashamedly pointed at Hairy's limp body. She felt her cheeks grow warmer as Remus walked towards her; would he know that she wasn't really Severus?

"I heard two voices up here," Remus replied quietly. "Who else is here?"

Lily didn't know what to say. Somewhere, Regulus was in here, but he would be of little help to her if he was invisible.

"No...it's just...me," she said lamely.

Remus walked right up to her until he was just a single stride away. Lily avoided eye contact; she knew he was watching her for irregularities, and, being one of Severus' close friends, he would probably find what he was searching for.

After several seconds, he said at last: "You're not Severus."

"Yes I am!" Lily replied, though her high-pitched squeal completely gave herself away. She could feel the potion wearing off, and her voice was swiftly returning to normal. Over Remus' shoulder, she saw the door open seemingly by itself. She barely had time to register what was happening, and the next thing she knew, someone had yelled "_Stupefy!_" and Remus was laying face first on his bed, unconscious.

"What'd you do?!" Lily cried in alarm as she ran over to see if Remus was okay.

"Lily! There's no time for this!" Regulus pleaded to her by the door, but she had to make sure her friend hadn't hurt the Gryffindor boy too bad. Ignoring the horrendous awkwardness she felt in her current transition from male back to female, Lily gently placed a pillow under Remus' head before darting over to Regulus and running out of the dormitory at top speed. They threw themselves down the stairs three at a time and sprinted through the common room as fast as they could until they reached the portrait, which, much to their horror, opened from the other side.

"As I was saying..."

James Potter trailed off as he looked up and saw Regulus and Lily, who were just as wide-eyed as he was. By sheer luck, the Polyjuice Potion was still loosely intact, and while Lily had returned to her normal, female physique from the neck down, her face still somewhat resembled Severus'.

Just as a wildly perplexed James turned around, Regulus threw the cloak over Lily and himself, and they darted through the portrait hole, unnoticed by the trio of Gryffindors outside.

Behind him, James saw Sirius and Severus waiting impatiently.

_But they were just right in front of me..._

He looked towards the portrait again: they were gone.

"What's wrong?" Severus asked, puzzled by James bizarre behaviour. Neither he nor Sirius had seen what James had.

"Did you two learn how to Apparate?!"

* * *

**A/N:** _Next chapter: Severus makes a little discovery..._

_Any reviews are appreciated, as always :)_


	23. A True Friend

**A/N: **_Thank you reviewers for taking the time to leave comments on the last chapter, I always appreciate them! This chapter is pretty short, but don't let the length fool you. Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter, because some things will need explaining. Thanks!~_

* * *

"_Shhhh_! I think he's waking up!"

At the sound of voices whispering furiously to each other beyond this realm of darkness, Remus attempted to open his eyes. Unsurprisingly, all he could see were fuzzy images and outlines of people surrounding him. With some effort, he blinked several times and once his vision had cleared, he could see Severus, James, and Sirius sitting down at the edge of his bed, looking bored.

_What am I doing in the hospital wing again?_ Remus wondered silently.

As his gaze landed on Severus, he suddenly remembered: there had been a flash of red light, his body flew through the air like a useless puppet...then blackness. In short, he had been Stunned. He had not seen the attacker, though he knew that it couldn't have been Severus. Then who could it possibly be? James and Sirius were obviously down at the Quidditch tryouts, so it couldn't have been them either...

_Wait...wasn't Severus there as well?_

Remus had a strange feeling that the boy in their dormitory had been an imposter— he distinctly remembered telling the person they weren't the real Severus— but there was no way his friends would believe him. They'd probably assume he'd gone mad, and he didn't want Pomfrey keeping him here any longer than he needed to be.

"How are you feeling?" James asked, grinning. He was wearing a gold and maroon Quidditch uniform with a lion emblem on the chest; just another one of his arrogant attempts to remind everyone that he was definitely on the team this year. What a git.

"I don't remember," Remus lied. It was somewhat true: he didn't exactly know who or what had hit him, and he didn't feel like telling James anyway. Or Sirius, for that matter. Those two were incapable of taking _anything_ seriously, and Remus really wasn't in the mood for making a fool of himself in front of them.

"Oi Poppy! He's awake now!" Sirius hollered to the woman, who was currently treating a fifth year Ravenclaw whom had been hit by a Stinging Jinx. Her head looked painfully swollen, like a naked watermelon, and even after she had swallowed some Calming Draught, she was still bawling.

"How many times must I tell you, Mr. Black, _do not call me 'Poppy!'"_

Sirius shrugged. "Dumbledore calls you that—"

"_Professor_ Dumbledore may call me whatever he wants. A _student_, however, ought to show me proper respect," she huffed.

"I was just having some fun," Sirius muttered moodily as the woman jostled him aside to get to Remus.

"How do you feel, dear?" Pomfrey asked in a much kinder tone than the one in which she had spoken to Sirius. Not waiting for an answer, she felt his forehead and much to his embarrassment, fussed over him as though he were a small, vulnerable child.

"Now, you'll need to take some Kopf Elixir for your head—"

"My head's fine," Remus muttered as he tried swatting her away. "Honestly, Madam Pomfrey, _I'm fine._"

She did not look convinced, but knew the poor boy suffered enough humiliation as it was and decided she would wait until his friends left before administering his medications.

"Well, since you're miraculously healed now, why don't we go back to the common room and you tell us what _really_ happened." James said with a smirk. He knew that something exciting had occurred yesterday, and he wanted in on the secret too.

"Absolutely not!" Pomfrey cut in. "Mr. Lupin is staying here until _I_ release him. You three, however, are free to go."

"But we just got here!" James protested. It was bad enough they couldn't have ditched Charms and double Defense Against the Dark Arts earlier to visit him, but to be kicked out after a mere hour of visitation?

Pomfrey frowned. "Excuse me, Potter, but I received a visit from Professor Umbridge this morning and she kindly informed me that you and Mr. Black have a detention with her this evening. I think it would be wise to go."

"But—" James hesitated, trying to think of a reasonable excuse that Pomfrey would accept, "— our poor friend here is _gravely_ injured. His very life may be at stake! Wouldn't it be better if we were here to support him during these desperate times?"

"Very well. Mr. Snape is permitted to stay."

"But we're Rem's friends too!" Sirius fumed. Both he and James knew from experience that Umbridge's detentions were micro-torture sessions, and it wasn't fair that only Severus was allowed to stay here. Staying in this foul-smelling hospice was still far better than scrubbing ancient cauldrons or writing lines for that wretched woman.

"Out," Pomfrey said sternly, pointing at the door.

Grudgingly, James and Sirius said their goodbyes and departed, loudly voicing their discontent as they went until Pomfrey irritably slammed the doors behind them. Although they were his friends, Remus found that he was immensely relieved to see them go. He was slightly hoping that Severus would go with them; however, his company would be enjoyable for the time being.

"So," Severus began as casually as he could, knowing that Remus would balk at any obvious attempts to squeeze the truth out of him. "You're alright then?"

Remus nodded glumly, knowing exactly what Severus was trying to do.

_Perhaps he won't think I'm mad,_ he thought as Severus sat down on the bed, awkwardly fiddling with his wand in an effort to avoid Remus' gaze. _Perhaps I ought to tell him…he could probably find an explanation for this!_

"_Did_ you see anything?" Severus asked tentatively, referring to the incident from yesterday. He knew he was pushing his luck with this one, but seeing that Remus was clearly disturbed by what had happened, he wanted to find out so he could help his friend.

"I..." Remus didn't know what to say. Sure, he liked Severus and found him to be a trustworthy friend for the most part, but there were still things he didn't wish to reveal to _anyone._ Would Severus think he was going insane if he told him the truth? Perhaps he'd try a different tactic first: "Did you...come back early from the Quidditch tryouts yesterday?"

Severus frowned. "Well, the three of us came back as soon as the Chaser results were announced. But that was when we found you."

"You didn't talk to me at all before then?" Remus croaked, beginning to feel as though he was actually was going mad. The bewildered expression on his friend's face confirmed it.

"No. Why?"

Remus hesitated. "I...I saw you. Well...I'm not sure if it was _really_ you."

"You mean...an imposter?"

Remus nodded miserably. He could only imagine what his friend thought of his sanity now. "I didn't think it was you...they were acting quite strangely, and— _I swear I'm not mad!_" he added jerkily, noticing the skeptical expression on Severus' face.

Severus shook his head. "I'm sure you're fine. Look, let's just drop the issue for a while, you need some rest."

Both he and Remus looked out the magnificent window to their left. The sun was close to setting, and apparently it was going to be a very windy night, judging by the way the Whomping Willow was thrashing about in the breeze.

"You know Boyle? That Hufflepuff boy? I heard he had a nasty run-in with that tree last week," Severus commented, trying to pass time without allowing the awkward silence to engulf them.

"Poor git," said Remus weakly, looking slightly paler at the mentioning of the Whomping Willow.

"Here's your final dose, dear," Madam Pomfrey said as she scurried over to Remus and handed him a royal-blue potion in a small glass. She smiled softly up at Severus and quietly told him, "You may go now, Mr. Snape."

Severus didn't know why he was being kicked out now, but nodded obediently and walked over to Remus to say goodbye for the night. Before he said anything to his friend, he noticed something startling.

"_Don't drink that!_"

Remus nearly choked. He slammed the glass down on the bedside table in alarm, and looked around wildly. "What's wrong?"

"What is that?" Severus asked sharply, referring to the potion in which his friend had just gagged on.

Remus looked down at the potion, then back up to his friend. "It's just to relieve some aches and pains. You made me think it was poison for a moment there!"

He bit his lip nervously as Severus took the glass and examined its contents in a manner that resembled Professor Slughorn.

"Give it back, Severus, there's nothing wrong with it," he pleaded helplessly, knowing that his friend was just seconds from discovering something he wanted to remain hidden forever. How was it possible to be _this_ good at Potions? If he correctly identified it...well, Remus didn't want to think about that…

His worst fear was suddenly unfolding before his very eyes: "This is Wolfsbore," Severus muttered under his breath. He had immediately recognized the concoction by its characteristic red specks and unique plasma-like appearance. He looked down at Remus— who was currently looking horrified beyond words— and back at the potion.

Much to Remus' surprise, it didn't seem to register in Severus' mind why Pomfrey had given him that particular potion. In fact, he marched off to her office to inform her that she had given Remus the wrong treatment.

"If I might, Madam Pomfrey, I believe you made a mistake," he told her, putting the barely-emptied potion onto her cluttered desk.

Madam Pomfrey stared at it. "No dear, it's the right one."

"But this is Wolfsbore!" Severus said angrily, unable to comprehend that such a gifted medi-witch could make such a grave error. "Remus can't drink this! It'll be useless!"

"Mr. Snape, would you please settle down?" Madam Pomfrey admonished him. She tried getting him to sit down, but he fought her away, unwilling to slow down and consider the _other_ possibility for this madness that was gradually floating to the surface of his mind. There was _no way..._

"But you gave him the wrong—"

"It's not the wrong potion," a weary voice interrupted from the doorway.

Severus whirled around to see his friend standing there, looking shabbier and more exhausted than ever. Could there be a reason behind this ragged appearance aside from poor personal hygiene? There was also a flicker of desperation behind his eyes, but Severus did not understand. Not only that, but he didn't _want_ to understand. It couldn't _possibly_ mean that he...

"But...this is for..."

"Werewolves," Remus finished for him in a barely-audible whisper. Pomfrey did her best to muffle a tiny gasp, knowing that this was the first student Remus had ever revealed his secret to here at Hogwarts.

Severus was speechless. It hadn't even occurred to him that Remus was...a _werewolf_. The idea itself seemed absolutely impossible; it made much more sense for Madam Pomfrey to have made a misdiagnosis. He couldn't even sort out how he felt to be hammered by such shocking news: it was a mixture of revulsion, horror and pity. Staggering slightly, Severus made his way over to a chair and collapsed onto it. Madam Pomfrey scurried out of the room at once, knowing this was an important time for the two friends to be alone.

"But..._how?_" Severus spluttered, unable to make any sense of his words. His mind was racing, trying to sort through what he had just discovered, but nothing appeared logical or even possible when he thought about it. How could someone as quiet and calm as Remus Lupin be a full-fledged werewolf as well? He couldn't believe that one of his closest friends was hiding such a terrible secret.

"I was going to tell you," Remus said quietly. "But...I don't want them to know."

"Them?" Severus repeated, looking up at Remus, who looked utterly defeated now that his secret was out. "James and Sirius?"

Remus nodded numbly and sat on the ground in an effort to avoid eye contact with his friend. "I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to be friends anymore," he sighed. "Everyone always leaves, and for good reason."

Severus stared at him, trying to imagine him during a full moon. It was frightening.

_Tonight is the full moon!_ He remembered with a jolt. He suddenly felt a pang of fear: was Remus going to transform in this office? What if he attacked him? As sorry as he felt for his friend, Severus was not exactly inclined to join the ranks of werewolves along with him if he could avoid it. He looked out the window: the sun had set, and the moon was going to rise within the next hour or so.

_We've got time, _Severus told himself firmly, knowing that he couldn't wash away this unwanted piece of information any more than Remus could return to normal.

"Why would I leave?"

Remus looked up. Severus did not look terribly frightened, unlike all his other friends and their parents in the past. Could this possibly mean that he'd still have a friend...?

"Everyone else does," Remus mumbled, remembering the reactions of others from his younger days when he didn't think it was necessary to hide this unpleasant little detail. As he grew older, he had learned to keep his mouth shut if he wished to keep his friends; damn Severus and his prodigious potioneering abilities! He was the first person to find out here at Hogwarts, excluding Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore. Would he be as accepting as they were?

"You didn't ditch me when I first told you I wanted to be in Slytherin," Severus replied seriously. "If you can handle that sort of madness...then I suppose I can handle this."

**xXxXxXxXx**

An hour later, Severus was walking back up to Gryffindor Tower. He was still feeling overwhelmed by the fact that one of his closest friends was a _werewolf_, but he knew better than to desert someone because of their flaws. He prided himself in being a loyal friend, and he was determined not to give up on them. There were far worse people out there, for example, Lily's Slytherin friends: they were far more dangerous than Remus, in Severus' opinion. At least Remus was compliant with visiting the hospital wing every time there was a full moon, thus making it absolutely safe to be around him all the time that he was free.

It would be a tremendously difficult job in protecting that secret, but Severus would not let him down. The only people he'd have to lie to were James and Sirius, and they were gullible enough to believe anything.

"Where's Remus?" they demanded once Severus returned to their dormitory, an hour after curfew. He had gone along with Madam Pomfrey and Remus down to the Whomping Willow that evening, where there was supposedly a tunnel that led to what the Hogsmeade villagers referred to as the 'Shrieking Shack.' That was the place where Remus spent his time as a transformed werewolf: no friends, no people around to keep him company. Severus was no stranger to loneliness, but he could only imagine what Remus was suffering through down there.

"He was feeling...ill," Severus told his two friends.

"But he was perfectly fine earlier!" Sirius shot back, looking suspicious.

_If only you knew Sirius. If only you knew,_ Severus thought to himself as he lay there in bed that night, unable to sleep. He found himself wishing there was something, anything, he could do for Remus to make his time in that solitary confinement less painful. Wolfsbore could only do so much; there was no doubt in his mind that Remus suffered tremendously during every transformation. No wonder he wanted to hide it: not only did he undergo the physical agony of it all, but society itself was solidly anti-werewolf. Everything seemed to be against him.

Around two o'clock, Severus found himself finally lulling off to sleep; with the frantic cries of the wolf in the distance haunting his dreams until morning.

* * *

**A/N: **_Okay, first of all, I know the real name of the werewolf potion is Wolfsbane, but since Remus said in PoA that Wolfsbane was a very recent discovery, there was no way it could have possibly been around back when he was in school. Wolfsbore is a very mild, primitive form of Wolfsbane. It does not calm the mind enough during a transformation to the point where the werewolf is harmless, but it is used to basically numb the pain (biting/scratching/etc.)_

_Next, Severus could not 'connect the dots' because he was simply unable to accept the possibility that his friend might be a werewolf (until he admitted to it). I know this is a vague comparison, but when someone dies, the immediate reaction is denial. Learning that one of your best friends is a werewolf may not be as bad as hearing that they died, but it's still huge news nonetheless, and Severus just experienced quite a shock. If he were to reflect back upon it, he'd probably recognize the signs (as Hermione did), but at the moment, he's just feeling a little overwhelmed. As for him shrugging off the Remus' speculations about the imposter: he'll investigate that eventually..._

_Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this (it took me two full revisions to get this right), and I always appreciate your comments :)_


	24. Lucius' Downfall

**A/N: **_Thank you once again to those who reviewed, I'm sorry I couldn't reply to all of them, but I'll try for this chapter :)_

* * *

"_Where is it?_ I just used it on Friday! It must be in here somewhere!"

It was four o'clock in the morning. For some reason, James was having a panic attack, and found it necessary to be as loud and obnoxious as possible until he found whatever he was looking for. Sirius had chucked a pillow at him, hoping he would take the hint that there were still some people actually trying to sleep in their dormitory, but James retaliated by blasting him off of his bed with the flick of a wand. He was seething with rage, and it seemed there was nothing his friends could do to calm him down.

By now, Severus had given up asking about the thing James was looking for. Each time he had asked, James completely ignored him and continued his frantic searching. Unable to help, Severus attempted going back to sleep, but quickly found this to be impossible— even with a pillow pressed tightly around his head to muffle the noise.

There was a flash of red somewhere beyond his bed, followed by an explosive crash and an infuriated roar from Sirius.

"What did you do to my trunk?!" Sirius bellowed. Severus looked towards the door; he was surprised McGonagall hadn't come in yet. Surely everyone in the castle could hear them...

James ignored Sirius and began to aggressively search through Severus' trunk without bothering to ask permission.

"Get away from my trunk," Severus hissed, his wand out and pointed directly at James' forehead.

James stared at him for a few moments, considering the consequences. His eyes were bloodshot and unfocused. Slightly disturbed by the expression on his friend's face, Severus cautiously waved his free hand in front of him to see if he would notice the movement. He did.

James broke his gaze and looked back up at Severus. For a split second, Severus thought he was going to speak, but apparently, James had other plans. He jumped up to attack him. Severus had not been prepared for this, and was easily knocked off of his bed. James pinned him to the ground and threw his wand several feet away, leaving Severus in a frighteningly vulnerable position.

He tried kicking and punching his way to freedom, but unfortunately, James was much stronger than he was. He was blinded with fury by now, and he obviously wasn't thinking about what he was doing.

"What'd you do with it?!" James yelled, threatening to punch Severus directly in the face if he didn't answer.

"With what?!" Severus shouted as he tried to squirm free once more. Sirius was trying to pull James away from him, but he was too angry to give in. Neither Severus nor Sirius had ever seen James so out of control before. It was a little scary...

"My cloak!" James snarled. "What did you do with my bloody cloak!"

"What cloak?" Severus choked. James' left hand was unconsciously squeezing all the air out of him, and if he didn't get off soon, Severus feared he would suffocate.

"_My Invisibility Cloak!_" James roared. "_It's gone!"_

"I didn't...take it..."

"_Don't lie!_"

"I'm..."

"_Stupefy!_"

There was a flash of red light, and James was blasted away from Severus. Rubbing his neck, Severus looked up to see his saviour. He thought it was Sirius, but to his great surprise, it was Remus standing in the doorway. He smiled grimly at Severus and quickly came over to help him to his feet.

"What's gotten into him?" Remus muttered, staring at James. He hadn't been knocked out by the Stunning Spell, but he certainly looked a little disoriented from it. He struggled to get to his feet, but couldn't quite balance himself and fell onto his back, cursing fluently. It was a pitiful sight. Severus sighed and went over to help James to his feet— though he picked up his wand first to ensure his safety.

James didn't say anything, but grudgingly took his hand to pull himself up. Luckily for Severus, it seemed as though he was too exhausted to try attacking him again.

"Where have _you_ been?" he demanded after noticing Remus.

"In the Hospital Wing, leave him alone," Severus snapped as he harshly shoved James onto his own bed.

"Did he take—"

"None of us took it, alright?"

James glared at Severus. "I think you took it."

Severus rolled his eyes. "And I think you're insane."

"Took what?" Remus asked curiously.

"I...I saw you go under it," James said suddenly, ignoring Remus. "You..._and_ Sirius! _It was you two!"_

Severus looked questioningly back at Sirius. He shrugged, looking as baffled as Severus felt.

"Okay James, when did you see 'us' stealing your cloak?"

James frowned. "Saturday! Just after the tryouts! I saw you and Sirius behind the portrait! Then you disappeared under _my _cloak!"

"James, you prat, we were behind _you_ remember?" Severus found it difficult to suppress the urge to slap him across the face. "We went to the tryouts with you. How could we have possibly stolen your cloak?"

James considered this for a moment. He was clearly trying to find a loophole, a way that he could still blame those two even with the overwhelming evidence against him.

The trio looked at each other hopefully; maybe James had actually listened to logic for once in his life...

"So Remus took it!"

They all groaned in unison.

"How could Remus have taken it if he was unconscious?" Sirius snapped, clearly irritable from lack of sleep. Even though he and James were nearly inseparable, he still had his limits as to how far James could push him before he lost his very-limited amount of patience.

"I knew I saw you two take it," James mumbled finally, though everyone had already dropped the subject and were returning to their beds, hoping to get in at least an hour or two of sleep before having to wake up once more for the day's lessons.

Severus closed his eyes and thought about what James had said. Was his friend going mad, or had he really seen something? What about the imposter Remus had mentioned yesterday? He did say that the person looked like him...and James had seen another person that looked like him around the same time. Was it possible that they had seen the same person? Had there really been someone in their dormitory that didn't belong there?

Severus wasn't sure who it could be or why they chose him to impersonate, but he was determined to find out.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"I'm not so sure about this Bellatrix," Lily whispered fearfully from her position on the ground.

The older girl smiled condescendingly down at her and shook her head. "Oh Lily...you would never turn your back on your friends would you?"

Lily considered this for a moment, then shook her head. She was currently lying on her back and staring up at the tip of Bellatrix's wand, waiting for the cue. It was a little frightening to be in such a position, but she trusted Bellatrix for the most part...

"But...isn't there a better way to distract him? Can't we just—"

"No!" Bellatrix hissed threateningly. "You agreed to the plan, did you not?"

"Well, yes, but…"

"Then stop complaining! I didn't want to be involved in this either, but do you hear me complaining?"

_Because you have the fun job, _Lily thought sourly.

It had been one week since Lily and Regulus had broken into Gryffindor Tower and stolen Potter's Invisibility Cloak. Lucius had been waiting for the perfect moment to execute the plan to get his family's locket back, and tonight was the night. Dumbledore had requested a meeting with him and Professor Slughorn to discuss the discipline problems within their house, leaving the perfect opportunity for him to get into the office without necessarily breaking in. Dolores Umbridge was conveniently absent, as her Head Girl duties were broader than those of the Slytherin prefects.

Laika had taken the Invisibility Cloak, and was currently waiting outside of the office. Once Lily and Bellatrix set off the alarm, she would be able to run inside completely undetected. It was Lily's job to create a big distraction— one that would demand the attention of both Dumbledore and Slughorn— and Bellatrix was here to help.

"Why couldn't Narcissa—"

"Cissy's in detention with Sprout," Bellatrix lied. The truth was that she didn't want her sister involved in such a troublesome situation that could possibly lead to dire consequences. If anyone was going to get caught, it would not be anyone from the Black family.

Bellatrix looked down at her watch. Lucius had been in the office for fifteen minutes. Their time had come.

"Ready Lily?"

Lily broke her gaze with the wand and looked up. "Is this going to hurt?"

Bellatrix smirked. "Oh, it shouldn't hurt too much. Of course, it will _look_ terrible, but it won't be too painful."

Lily could only wonder what level of pain was "not too much" to Bellatrix Black. Still, she _had _agreed to this, and she feared more of what the older kids would do to her if she didn't go through with it, rather than what Dumbledore would do to her if she did.

Bellatrix silently flicked her wand at Lily's body. At once, Lily felt everything go numb, like the time she went to the Muggle dentist, except the numbness was everywhere now, not just her mouth. Her eyes bulged in fear and she wanted to say something, but Bellatrix held a finger to her lips to silence her.

There was another flick of her wand, and tiny jets of blood burst through Lily's skin from her feet to her forehead. Lily felt like a piñata that had just been cracked open and rather than candy falling out, it was her own blood. Bellatrix had been true to her word: it didn't hurt at all, but the sight itself was terrifying. Her once-pale arms were quickly coated in shiny crimson ooze, and she was soon coughing it up as well.

"It has to look bad," Bellatrix explained once she had finished her work. She was clearly pleased with her masterpiece, and barely paid any attention to Lily's horrified expression.

"Now," she whispered as she began tiptoeing away, "_Scream!_"

Lily immediately did as she was told and let out a bloodcurdling shriek. Hopefully it would take Dumbledore several minutes to clean her up and possibly rush her to the Hospital Wing, ensuring that the Malfoys would find their locket and escape without anyone getting caught.

She soon heard male voices drifting towards her: Slughorn and Dumbledore were coming to the rescue, as planned. As she continued screaming at the top of her lungs, Lily couldn't help but feel a little irritated with the Malfoys and Bellatrix for forcing her into this. While she really wanted to help them— for Laika had recently reminded her that failure to procure the locket would lay a death sentence upon their heads for reasons unknown— Lily had _not_ agreed to be the bait. This was humiliating and dangerous; Dumbledore would probably realize that Lily hadn't really been attacked and if he didn't, he would probably force Lily to reveal the identity of her attacker. It was not looking good for her, but there was no chance to back out. From the moment she had brought the Invisibility Cloak to Lucius, she had been doomed.

Hot tears spilled down her cheeks as she continued with the plan, however reluctantly. She didn't blame Bellatrix as much as she did Lucius: she had heard him tell Bellatrix what to do, and she was only following his orders. It was Lucius' fault she was in this mess and at the pit of her soul, a terrible sense of loathing came over her. He had used her. Too bad it took something as embarrassing as pretending to be dying and bleeding all over the place to realize her mistake.

_No more, _she thought furiously. While she didn't mind helping her close friends, Lucius had crossed the line with her.

At last, Slughorn and Dumbledore arrived. Lily couldn't believe how lucky they were; she could only hope that their luck would hold out long enough for all of them to escape safely. She silently promised herself this was the last favour she would ever do for Lucius Malfoy...

Dumbledore said nothing as he knelt down next to Lily's still-numb body. Lily could sense that he was surveying the damage carefully, and within seconds, he set to work on healing her with a strange incantation that sounded almost like a song. Slughorn had run off to fetch a bottle of dittany from his potions stores in the dungeons, leaving Lily alone with the old headmaster. She didn't say anything to him and avoided eye contact with him. For some reason, she always felt as though he could read her mind when he looked into her eyes, and even if this was simply paranoia, she was determined to evade him.

After Dumbledore finished two different spells, Lily could feel her wounds healing themselves, and the remaining spilled blood had been Vanished. She felt extremely dizzy once her body lost the numbing sensation, and the last thing she remembered before losing consciousness was Dumbledore informing her that Professor Slughorn was going to take her up to the Hospital Wing. Then blackness engulfed her.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Lucius he's coming back!"

Lucius looked up towards the door and waited. Sure enough, he heard footsteps down the hall. Trying to hide his panic, he threw the locket— which he had found in one of the countless drawers in Dumbledore's desk— at Laika, and she disappeared under the Invisibility Cloak at once. He saw the door open seemingly by itself and close: Laika had escaped with the locket.

_We did it,_ Lucius thought victoriously as he leaped over Dumbledore's desk and into his chair. He looked around the office, hoping there was nothing out of place or anything that would give him away. There was a bit of dust remaining on his robes, but he quickly brushed it off, leaving him looking exactly as he did before Dumbledore and Slughorn rushed out of there.

"I'm sure you'll be glad to hear that Miss Evans will make a full recovery after that nasty incident," Dumbledore said as he strolled into the office and resumed his seat across from Lucius.

Before Lucius could say anything, Dumbledore looked around the office and frowned. "Where did your sister go, Mr. Malfoy? I saw her just a moment ago."

Lucius gulped. Either Laika had been stupid enough to take off the Invisibility Cloak around Dumbledore, or he could somehow see through the Cloak. He wasn't sure which idea was more plausible.

So far, everything was going perfectly; the locket had been safely smuggled away, and all that was left to do was end the meeting before Dumbledore found out what was missing.

Feigning innocence, Lucius began slowly, "I haven't seen Laika in hours, Professor."

Dumbledore stared at him for several moments, then quietly asked, "Is there something you wish to tell me, Lucius?"

Lucius gulped again. There was no possible way Dumbledore could have known everything that had just occurred was a part of his plan. But then...the fact that he knew Laika had been present worried Lucius. Breaking their gaze, he stared down at his hands and shook his head.

"No sir...are we finished?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "I'm afraid not."

Lucius' heart leaped into his throat as Dumbledore reached down into the drawer which had previously housed the locket. He opened it, shuffled through the papers, then closed it carefully. How Dumbledore already knew that Lucius had stolen the locket was beyond him...

_Damn!_ Lucius mentally hit himself. Dumbledore had clearly used Legilimency against him; there was no other way he could have known about the missing locket. And Lucius was not exactly the best Occlumens. He couldn't believe it: he had unknowingly given Dumbledore all the information he needed without realizing what he was doing. Just when he thought he was prepared for any dilemmas involving their heist, Dumbledore managed to prove him wrong.

Oddly, the old headmaster merely smiled at Lucius and quietly muttered, "So clever, so clever..."

Still trying to appear completely innocent, Lucius asked, "What sir?"

"Was Miss Evans involved in this as well?"

"No—"

"So you worked alone?"

"In what?!" Lucius yelled, fighting back the overwhelming urge to jump at the old man and attack him. He had spent hours, _days_ even, preparing for this, and Dumbledore managed to figure out everything within five minutes.

"Lucius," Dumbledore began seriously, thinking back to a student he had a long time ago that was a known thief, even before he had come to the school, "we do not tolerate thievery at Hogwarts. As a prefect, I thought would know better."

Lucius' breathing was rapidly accelerating every second. He was in a load of trouble now, and there was no way he could worm his way out of this. The euphoric feeling that had filled him as Laika successfully escaped with the locket was now giving way to feelings of dread and even fear. None of this had been done to avenge his parents' deaths— the very reason Laika had gone along with it— but to secure an honourable position amongst the Dark Lord's followers. He was determined to join them as soon as he left Hogwarts, but perhaps he would gain acceptance earlier if he managed to get the locket back to him. He did not understand why the artifact was so important to the Dark Lord, but it wasn't his business to find out. No matter what Dumbledore said, Lucius would not give it back to him.

"Lucius, I am willing to give you this chance to give it back."

Lucius shook his head, and abandoning his clueless stance, he said, "No."

"Is it worth suspension, Lucius? I do not wish to do that, but if the circumstances require—"

"Go ahead," Lucius snarled, hating the old man for his sympathetic tone. He knew _nothing._ He only wanted the locket for himself. Lucius may be a prefect, but that didn't necessarily mean that he was a model student. He was a budding Death Eater like nearly everyone in Slytherin, and Dumbledore knew it.

"Lucius," said Dumbledore gravely. "There are dangers out there that you cannot possibly comprehend. I fear for your safety beyond this castle...yes, I mean that, Lucius."

"Then don't suspend me," Lucius said through gritted teeth. He _did_ want to stay at Hogwarts, but he also desperately wanted to join the Dark Lord as well. He could learn so much more from him, rather than wasting time in useless classes such as Defense Against the Dark Arts. What a joke.

Dumbledore frowned. "Lucius, I will not suspend you if you return the locket."

"Why is it so important to you, then?" Lucius spat, trying to buy himself time. He did not know why the Dark Lord wanted it either, but his desires were not to be questioned.

"I do not wish to suspend you," Dumbledore repeated, ignoring Lucius' previous question. He could see the struggle behind the boy's harsh grey eyes; what troubles awaited him outside the walls of Hogwarts worried the headmaster greatly.

Lucius laughed mirthlessly. The chance to redeem himself had passed, and he could sense that Dumbledore's punishment was coming. He simply didn't care anymore. "Well it's too late. The locket is long gone and I'm never going to give it to you!"

"Is that your final answer, then?" Dumbledore asked calmly as he observed Lucius. He could not help the boy even if he kept him at Hogwarts. More students such as Lily Evans would be used for his own personal gain, and Dumbledore did not tolerate such actions within his school. He fully understood that he was releasing a potential Death Eater into society, but his absence would be better for the students' safety as a whole (as well as a tale of caution for students attempting to drastically break the rules as he did). Dumbledore had to look at it from the calculative perspective: allowing one boy to harm's way— in this case, Lord Voldemort's ranks— was better for the greater good than if he remained at Hogwarts to harm the students (and still join the Death Eaters anyway). He considered suspending the boy until he returned the locket, but as he had said, it was already gone. And Lucius was stubborn; Dumbledore could see that he wouldn't give it back no matter what the circumstances were.

With a heavy sigh, Dumbledore spoke: "There are students consistently in the Hospital Wing because of you, Mr. Malfoy. I will not allow thievery to go unpunished either, so...I have no choice but to expel you from Hogwarts."

* * *

**A/N: **_I am currently rereading HBP, which might explain why there are so many parallels in this chapter to the book. For one, I was thinking Lucius was going through something simliar to Draco: if he does not return the locket to Voldemort, he will kill Lucius (as he would have done to Draco if Dumbledore had survived). Dumbledore was trying to stop Lucius from going the wrong way (though he tried a little harder to save Draco than Lucius), but after the many attacks (including the one from year one, which he linked to Bellatrix but knew Lucius played a major role in), he doesn't have much of a choice if he wishes to act on what's best for the greater good. Also, Lucius normally wouldn't act like that (as an adult anyway, he may have been more reckless as a teenager), but he was under tremendous pressure to recover the locket, and having been discovered anyway, he just fell apart (as Draco did when he realized he was incapable of killing Dumbledore). Just some father/son connections._

_Lily is not happy with Lucius. She will definitely change a bit before the year is over (though this is good, because she'll listen to Severus more...hopefully)._

_As for why Dumbledore wants the locket: this is merely an assumption, but I believe that Dumbledore had already seen Morfin at this point in the timeline (therefore he already knew about Merope's connection to the locket), but he does not know it's a Horcrux yet (obviously he didn't find this out until Harry's 6th year). But he knows it has deep magical properties and it has a strong connection to Voldemort, making him think it might be a key to defeating him (though he doesn't know exactly this could work). _

_Thank you for reading, and I always appreciate your reviews :)_


	25. Poor Severus

**A/N: **_Wow! Thank you everyone who reviewed! I'm sooooo happy to see you like the story, and I hope it continues to meet expectations! Sorry it took so long to update! I saw "Half Blood Prince" at the midnight showing and LOVED it...so much that I couldn't really concentrate on anything else for a while! Anyway, this chapter got its name from Dumbledore's quote about Severus in "King's Cross" (no he's not going to die so soon, I promise). Enjoy~_

* * *

"Is he _still_ upset about the match?"

Severus followed Lily's gaze and saw that James hadn't even started the day's lesson. He was slumped over in his chair, nearly dropping his head into the simmering cauldron that Sirius had long since given up on to join Remus for the lesson instead. He certainly looked miserable.

It was no surprise to his friends, however. Last weekend, in Gryffindor's first Quidditch match of the season, James had strutted onto the field with a supreme sense of self-confidence and, as usual, arrogance. Being the youngest Chaser on the Gryffindor team in decades, he was determined to prove to everyone that he would be the greatest Quidditch player ever seen. Unfortunately for him, the Hufflepuffs were much better than he had originally believed, and despite his aggressive efforts to score points for his house, he ended up scoring absolutely none. The other two Chasers were scoring goals every few minutes, but even though they managed to tie the game around the thirty minute mark, the Hufflepuff Seeker shocked them all by finding the Snitch five minutes later.

Needless to say, James had been devastated. Everyone blamed him for being overconfident, and nobody bothered hiding the fact that James hadn't made a single goal.

Severus sighed. "He really thought he was a great Chaser. And I can't blame him for being upset though. His Invisibility Cloak was stolen two weeks ago and we think it's gone for good."

Lily nearly gagged, and it wasn't from the thick fumes of their potion. "Was it?"

Severus observed her curiously. "Yes. It's been in his family for decades. Centuries even."

Lily gulped and looked down at her bag. As Severus quietly went to work on cutting up their Muller Roots, Lily hastily shoved the silvery blue cloak deeper into her bag, until it was completely out of sight. Guilt raged against her heart, knowing that she never should have taken it in the first place, _especially_ to help a nasty snake by the name of Lucius Malfoy. After all that he had put her through, Lily wasn't exactly sad to hear that he had been expelled.

_Then again, I might be expelled too, _Lily thought nervously. Lucius had been kicked out of Hogwarts for thievery, something she was guilty of as well. She could only hope that she could get the cloak back to Potter before someone found it in her bag.

"So are you going to Slughorn's Christmas party tomorrow?" Severus asked conversationally, trying to keep his friend talking.

"Huh?" Lily asked absentmindedly. She was no longer paying any attention to Severus. Her only focus was on how she would return the cloak. She had specifically brought it to Potions today, hoping to rid herself of the blasted thing as soon as she could. It had already been in her possession for two weeks and the longer she kept it, the worse her punishment would be if someone caught her. Potter didn't seem to be paying attention today, but his bag was sitting in his lap; it would be impossible to return it to him unless he put it down.

_Or I could just put it in Sev's bag, _Lily thought excitedly. Potter would surely know that Severus didn't take it, and she would have no problem getting it into his bag. All she needed was a distraction…

"—and he said we're allowed to bring guests," Severus continued, refusing to make eye contact with Lily as the colour rose to his cheeks, "and I was just wondering if you—"

"Sev, I think we need more Furzy Juice," Lily interrupted him as their potion nearly overflowed from lack of attention.

Severus' eyes widened and he blushed furiously. "Um, sure..."

Trying not to show Lily how embarrassed he was, Severus quickly shuffled over to the stores cabinet for more ingredients. Without hesitation, Lily jerked the cloak out—ensuring that nobody was watching her first— and shoved it into Severus' bag. She managed to place a few heavy books on top of it before he returned, and Severus had no idea what had happened.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lily thanked him for retrieving the juice and carefully returned to working on their potion.

Severus bit his lip as he darted a furtive glance at his friend. She was acting very odd today...was it because she knew he was trying to ask her to accompany him to Slughorn's party?

_Or has she already asked her new best friend?_ Severus wondered sourly, thinking of Regulus Black. He hated that boy more than anyone else at Hogwarts. Lily had spent all of her free time with the git this year, and as much as Severus hated to admit it, he was feeling a bit…jealous. He was used to Lily only wanting to be around him, but everything changed when Black came to Hogwarts.

"So what were you saying?" Lily asked pleasantly after ten minutes of uninterrupted silence between them.

Severus groaned inwardly. So she hadn't heard a word he had said about Slughorn's party.

"I was...um...wondering if you were going...to Slughorn's party," Severus stuttered. He may be a genius when it came to Potions and defensive magic, but when it came to conversations— even with Lily— he almost always lost his nerve.

Lily frowned. "I didn't know Slughorn was having a party."

"Oh. You must have been in the Hospital Wing when he told us. Well, he's having a Christmas party tomorrow night."

"Oh. Sounds fun."

Severus deliberately focused all of his attention on the potion now. He could feel his face grow warmer again. "He...he also said we should, um...bring a friend."

"Oh! Will you come with me?"

Severus stared at her. How did she manage to do that so easily? He had been practicing the question all morning, and she completely improvised this with ease.

"Sure."

**xXxXxXxXx**

For a twelve year old, Lily sure knew how to dress up. Perhaps this was due to the years she had lived with the self proclaimed fashion-queen Petunia, but nevertheless, Severus felt immensely underdressed the moment he met Lily outside of Slughorn's office. He was wearing his best dress robes, which appeared much nicer than usual thanks to Frank Longbottom's excellent Tranfiguration abilities, but they were nothing compared to Lily's outfit. She was wearing a sparkling green dress that really brought out the colour in her eyes, momentarily distracting Severus.

"You look...good," was all that he managed to say. The truth was, Lily looked magnificent, but he was too shy to tell her that. After all, she was his best friend, and best friends didn't say things like that to each other.

Lily merely smiled, knowing that, coming from Severus that was a huge compliment. They walked into the grand office together, and found that it was much larger than usual to accommodate the number of guests in attendance. As expected, Slughorn had gone all-out with the decorations: from the lavishly ornamented Christmas trees to the enchanted lights and endless buffet table, it was clear that Slughorn was a man who enjoyed extravagance and luxury.

Severus and Lily noticed they were the youngest ones there; everyone else looked to be at least fifth year and above. There was one fourth year, Gryffindor Tiberius McLaggen, with his seventh year Ravenclaw girlfriend. There were some Quidditch players from Puddlemere United and the Holyhead Harpies in the room, as well as several top members from the Ministry. Slughorn was a well-connected man, apparently.

"This is...mad," Severus said as he eyed the festivities around him. He was _not_ a fan of parties, and the brightness of it all hurt his eyes. Still, he had Lily with him, so he vowed to enjoy himself.

"Ah! There's my stellar second years!" Slughorn boomed as he pulled Lily and Severus into the crowd. The Ministry officials peered at them curiously, as though they were determining their potential for Ministry careers someday. None of them seemed too impressed by Severus, but they immediately adored Lily.

"So you're Horace's top student?" one man asked her. Severus recognized him from the _Daily Prophet_: he was Barty Crouch, the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Lily smiled charmingly. "Well, I personally think Severus here is the best Potions student ever, but he's too shy to admit it."

Severus blushed under Lily's praise and mumbled, "I'm not _that_ good."

"Don't let him fool you; he's a budding Potions Master!" Slughorn chortled as he heartily whacked Severus on the back, almost knocking him to the ground. "These two are going to be great someday, mark my words."

Lily blushed as well. The adults seemed very interested in both of them now, and only after twenty minutes of questions did they manage to escape to a quieter corner of the room. The older kids were all dancing to the romantic Christmas tunes, but Severus didn't want to dance. He was content watching from the sidelines.

"That was strange," Lily commented. She was still watching the adults conversing on opposite side of the room, wondering why they were so interested in her and Severus if they were just good students. Severus knew they were only looking to collect future Ministry puppets, but he didn't tell Lily this.

"Oh joy, look who showed up," Severus grimaced as none other than Darcy Umbridge strolled into the room. She was wearing a vivid scarlet dress that was so tight around her plump figure that it made her look more like an oversized tomato than a human. She instantly started up a conversation with Crouch; they were both highly ranked in the Ministry after all, and he wanted to hear what she thought of Hogwarts.

"The students are...quite rebellious," Severus heard her say to Crouch as her piggish little eyes landed on him. She sneered hatefully at him; she had never gotten over what he had done to Dolores, and he knew fully well that she would get revenge for such humiliation at the first opportunity.

He glared back defiantly. _I'm not letting you ruin my night._

"Just ignore her, Sev," Lily whispered, pulling him into the crowd of rowdy students until he couldn't see Umbridge anymore. "So...how about a dance?"

Severus felt the heat rise to his cheeks for what felt like the millionth time that week. He had never danced a minute in his life, and yet here he was, on the dance floor with his best friend pleading him to dance to "My Christmas Witch." What was worse: it was a slow song.

"Lily, you know I can't dance..."

"Just try then. I don't care if you step on my toes."

Severus didn't like it. He didn't want to say no to Lily. After all, she had saved him from the embarrassment of asking her to the party, and did her absolute best to look perfect tonight. But again, they were only twelve. Twelve year olds didn't dance like this, did they?

Without waiting for Severus' answer, Lily happily pulled him into the music. They didn't exactly dance the correct way— Severus refused to go as far as putting his hands on her waist like the older kids were doing— but Lily enjoyed herself anyway. After a while, Severus somehow found himself enjoying it as well. Who knew that something as pointless as dancing could be so enjoyable? Neither of them had the grace and ability that the older students possessed, but that didn't matter. The Christmas lights became a blur and Severus guiltily found himself wishing this could last forever. Normally he would have felt like an idiot dancing, but everything seemed easier with Lily. It had been so long since he had had her to himself, without bloody Regulus tagging along or completely taking Lily away from him as he so often did. Thinking of this, Severus smiled, something he rarely did these days. It was a perfect evening.

And he only stepped on her foot once.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"That was the best party ever Sev," Lily said sleepily as they walked down to the Slytherin dungeons. Severus didn't want the night to end, and made up the excuse that he would walk her back to her common room just to spend more time with her. It was already well past midnight, but a deeply intoxicated Slughorn had promised them he would vouch for them if they were caught out of their dormitories after curfew.

"Well, I guess is goodbye for a while," Lily said quietly once they reached the outer entrance to the Slytherin common room.

Severus stared at her, not comprehending what she had said. "What do you mean?"

"Oh Sev, I had so much fun tonight, and I didn't want to tell you but— I'm going to Narcissa's home for the holidays," Lily confessed, her eyes glistening with tears.

Severus' heart dropped. He had barely seen or spoken to his friend in a month, with the exception of these past few days; didn't she want to be around him more? He found himself desperately wishing for summer to be here, in which Lily spent nearly every day with him, and only _him_. No Narcissa, no Laika, and _especially_: no Regulus. The thought that Lily wasn't going to stay at Hogwarts for the holidays hadn't even crossed his mind tonight. He had just assumed she would want to stay here with him.

"Sev?"

"Oh, I'm sorry; I forgot you had _better_ friends to spend your Christmas with," Severus spat, glaring at her for ruining what could have been a perfect evening.

Lily glared back as well, though not without tears streaming down her cheeks, Severus noted with a hint of satisfaction.

"Sev, don't be like that. You know you're my best friend."

Severus didn't know what to say. He was deeply upset by Lily's consistent disloyalty, and soon found himself running away from her to prevent himself from saying something he knew he would regret later. He couldn't even manage a simple goodbye. Lily called for him to come back, but he ignored her and continued running. As he turned the corner that led away from the dungeons, he heard a muffled sob echoing along the hallway.

He sprinted harder than he ever had before; somehow the painful stitching in his chest only motivated him to go faster. He reached the Fat Lady's portrait within minutes, and barked the password at her, not caring if he had woken her up. His friends were surely asleep by now, which was fine with him. He just wanted to throw himself onto the bed and escape into the land of sleep, where no one could hurt him.

Lily and her ickle Slytherin friends. Why, oh _why_ did she have to be in Slytherin? Everything had been fine before they had come to Hogwarts, and now...well, Severus didn't exactly want to think of the damage he had done.

As he entered their dormitory, he was shocked to see James and Sirius still awake. The lights were dimly lit, and judging from the anxious expression Sirius shot him as he walked in, things were not looking good for Severus.

"What's going on?" he asked in a constricted voice, hoping that his anger wouldn't reveal itself to his friends. Remus woke up immediately upon his arrival and nodded at him grimly.

"Remember that thing I lost a couple weeks ago? The one you told me you didn't steal?" James asked in a strangely hollow voice. He was staring at the wall, but Severus knew the questions were directed at him.

"For the hundredth time, I didn't take your cloak," Severus snapped harshly. He was still worked up from his argument with Lily, and anyone who irritated him now was going to be _very_ sorry.

James jolted to his feet and turned around to face Severus. His expression was a little frightening: he was smiling, but not in a friendly way.

"Then what is this?" James asked, holding up Severus' bag.

"My books, you prat, now give me—" Severus tried reaching for it, but James jerked it out of his reach. Severus was furious. First Lily, now James. If he didn't calm down soon, he was going to hex someone until the enraged monster in his chest was gone.

James reached inside the bag, and pulled out a silvery blue cloth. He dropped the bag carelessly on the ground, scattering Severus' books everywhere. Worse still, he had had small vials of extremely valuable experimental potions in there. They shattered underneath the weight of the books landing on top of them; destroying about three months' worth of Severus' experiments.

That did it: Severus whipped out his wand faster than a skilled Auror could have managed, and hexed James across the room with the first spell he thought of.

He had never felt this way before; it was like every negative emotion— some he didn't even know he had— was overflowing from his core, and there was nothing he could possibly do to stop it.

For three solid months, he had worked on those potions. He had been close to a breakthrough with two of the four, and even though he had recorded the notes, it would take another three months to return to the level he had previously been at. It would have been fine if only one had broken; a simple _Reparo_ charm would have done the work. But the four potions had mixed and formed a dangerous concoction. They fused together and completely melted through one of his books, until nothing remained of his precious experiments but a raw pile of tarred mush.

"Why'd you do that?!" Severus bellowed, pointing his wand directly at James.

"Why...why did you take it?" James asked weakly, still dazed from Severus' unexpected attack. He held up the cloth in which he had taken from Severus' bag. He recognized it as James' Invisibility Cloak at once.

Severus finally realized what was going on. His jaw dropped in shock at the sight of the cloak, which had been in _his_ bag, apparently. How it got in there, he didn't know, but right now, it didn't matter. A feeling of deflation suddenly engulfed him, and couldn't even muster up the energy to tell James he hadn't taken the cloak. He was simply too stunned to speak. The evidence was right in front of him: he knew he hadn't taken it, but he couldn't deny that James had a valid reason for blaming him if it was found in his own bag.

Unable to believe what a terrible evening this turned out to be, his shoulders drooped, and he slowly made his way back to his bed. Sure, maybe Lily _did_ deserve what he had said to her, and maybe James _did_ deserve to be hexed for being so careless with Severus' belongings, but now he could see that he was just as bad as them. Severus had never felt so empty before. And to think, just two hours ago he was happier than he had ever been in his entire life...

* * *

**A/N: **_Whee, Severus has a mental breakdown. I was thinking it was kind of like how Hermione completely lost it in PoA, except it's friend problems for Severus (he's really fed up with Lily now), instead of academic (though he's pretty pissed off about his experiments all going to waste). I think Lily has too many flaws at this point in the story, that I needed to show that Severus is flawed as well (because, if you reread some of the story, he's pretty close to being perfect so far). _

_Slughorn's party was fun to write (you have no idea how much I wanted Tiberius to do that thing his nephew did in the movie). _

_Once again, I appreciate every review, and any suggestions would be helpful as well! Thanks! :)_


	26. The Dark Mark

**A/N: **_Wow, thank you to everyone who reviewed! Unfortunately I simply don't have the time to reply to them anymore (unless you don't mind later updates, because my writing time is extremely limited these days), but I do read all of them, and find them very helpful! Enjoy this chapter~_

* * *

"Lily, _honestly,_ lighten up. It's nearly Christmas and all you can think about is Snape!"

With tears streaming down her cheeks as she gazed out at the snow-covered streets and Muggle passersby, Lily shook her head.

"It's not him…it's just—"

"Him," Laika and Narcissa said in unison, looking a little disgusted by the fact that Lily was still friends with Severus.

Lily looked away from the window and hastily wiped away a stray tear. Narcissa was right, Christmas was tomorrow, and she couldn't spend her entire holiday moping over Severus. There was no way she could get back to Hogwarts now, so she may as well make the best of her time her at Sirius and Regulus' home at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place.

The Black family _always_ spent its family holidays here, and they had been gracious enough to allow Laika and Lily to join them as well. Festivities were solemn affairs here, nothing like the wild Christmas parties the Evans used to attend with their friends and neighbours.

Although she had Laika and Narcissa around to keep her company, Lily was really hoping to spend more time with Regulus over the winter break. Until he fell ill, that is. He didn't look too good from the moment he set foot on the train home and by the time the five kids— including Sirius— reached their destination, Regulus could barely walk. A healer from St. Mungo's was immediately summoned, and after several doses of healing potions, Regulus was declared healthy enough to remain at home for the remainder of the holidays. He wasn't allowed outside of his room, however, and Lily was only permitted to visit him for a few minutes a day. It was frustrating for both of them, particularly Regulus, who had to deal with his older brother's relentless teasing.

"_SIRIUS GET OUT!_"

The three girls jumped to their feet as a magnificent crash rattled the entire house, scattering decades' worth of dust all over their heads and clothes. Somewhere up on the third floor, Regulus and Sirius were having a rather violent shouting match. Lily couldn't believe some of the things that were coming out of Sirius' mouth, though they may as well have been from Regulus, since the two brothers sounded exactly the same.

The elder Black family members were not pleased by this, and Lily not surprised to hear them muttering on how it was probably Sirius causing all this chaos. She didn't blame them: Sirius was almost as bad as Potter: even though Regulus was very sick, the only task on Sirius' agenda was to pester him more than ever before.

There was another bang— this time, it was from the work of a wand— and a yelp of pain, obviously coming from Sirius. Within seconds, he was being dragged down the stairs by his ancient, though astonishingly strong grandmother. Lily muffled a giggle: old Mrs. Black was tugging him by the ear without a single thought as to whether it hurt him or not.

_Finally, someone who can control that git,_ Lily mused, feeling sorrier for Regulus the longer she was around his brother.

Somewhere in the midst of all the shouting adults and the infuriated cursing from Sirius, there was a quiet knock at the door. Just as though time itself had stopped, the entire Black family suddenly fell silent, except for Sirius of course, who only quieted after his mum slapped him rather harshly across the face.

Bellatrix, whom had been watching the chaotic madness with bored disinterest, answered the door first.

"Well, well, well…this is certainly a surprise," Bellatrix hissed, sounding more angry than surprised to see their new visitor.

Seeing who it was, Lily didn't blame her: it was Lucius Malfoy. Although he had only left Hogwarts a couple of weeks ago, he looked as though he had aged ten years since Lily had last seen him. He was paler than a ghost, and his flesh desperately clung to his bones from lack of food. Lily had to wonder if he had eaten anything since his departure from school, because she had seen starving mutts look healthier than Lucius did.

"Lucius!" Laika excitedly leaped to her feet and flung her arms around her unsuspecting brother. The Blacks immediately welcomed him inside— despite Bellatrix's protests— and he somehow made it into the dining room before slumping over in exhaustion.

Lily could see Narcissa watching him fretfully from the corner of her eyes, but neither of them greeted Lucius as he came in. They simply watched the skeleton of a boy make his way through the masses of adults and gratefully accept a bowl of soup from the creepy little house elf, Kreacher.

Lucius caught Lily's eye for a mere second, smiled grimly, then looked away. Fury coursed through her at once. After all that he had done to her; he still had the nerve to be in her presence without even the slightest apology? Did he honestly believe that she still trusted him?

It was maddening. The only person who could possibly understand how she was feeling was Bellatrix, but Lily didn't exactly find it easy talking to the older girl, so she decided to remain silent as Laika returned to their corner and babbled on about how wonderful her brother was.

_I miss Sev,_ Lily though miserably, remembering how much he hated Lucius. _At least he's probably enjoying himself…_

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Knock. Knock._

Sirius' eyes fluttered open at once, thinking it was morning but was disappointed to see it was still completely dark outside. It was nearly midnight; Christmas was just ten minutes away, and someone had the nerve to wake him up.

_If that's Reg, I'm going to kill him,_ Sirius thought furiously as he pulled a soft maroon blanket over his head and tried to go back to sleep. Whoever had knocked on his door could wait until morning. Just as he squeezed his eyelids shut, he heard muffled whispers outside of his door. One was definitely a girl's voice, and she did not sound very happy.

Intrigued, Sirius slid out of bed and onto the floor, crawling his way to the other side of the room. He could vaguely see the girl's outline from the moonlight that filtered through the hallway windows: it was Bellatrix. She had not knocked on his door as Sirius had initially believed, but the one to the left of him. The door to the right was Regulus' bedroom, Sirius' was in the middle, and the guest bedroom in which Lucius and Laika were staying was the left door.

"What do you want?" Bellatrix whispered impatiently, completely unaware that there was an eavesdropper present.

Lucius stepped out into the hallway and shut the door behind him. "Follow me," he whispered. Sirius pressed his eye up to the peephole, but shadows soon engulfed Lucius and Bellatrix as they walked down the hallway until he could only see their faint figures.

It took him all of two seconds to decide what to do.

"Wand…wand…where's my wand…?" Sirius muttered as he threw all the bed covers off and shuffled around the sheets before finally locating his wand under his pillow. In his excitement, he flew at the door and slammed into it, falling backwards onto the floor with an explosive crash. He swore under his breath, reminding himself that doors must be _opened_ if one wishes to go through them. He sat up against the door for a couple of minutes, trying to catch his breath and give Bellatrix and Lucius the impression that Kreacher was just being an idiot again.

Finally, when he felt it was safe to leave, Sirius carefully opened the door and peeked out. Nobody was around as far as he could see.

"Lumos."

_Bella and Lucius have to be around here somewhere,_ he thought, feeling a rush of adrenaline surge through him as he tiptoed along the creepy hallways of the place he called home. Whatever they were talking about, it had to be important, otherwise, why would they choose to meet up at such a late hour? Sirius knew they'd have their wands with them, and even though Bellatrix would probably hex him until he was nearly paralyzed if he was caught, Sirius marched on.

He passed by the guest room in which Lily and Narcissa were sleeping under Slytherin-themed bedding. If he had not already been on a mission to discover what his cousin and the Malfoy creep were up to, he would have gone in and messed with their belongings, but alas, he had more important things to attend to.

There was a soft light coming from one of the rooms at the end of the hallway. Sirius immediately quickened his pace and crept outside of the empty room in which nobody had used for years after his great-great-grandfather fatally poisoned himself in there.

"What do you want?" Bellatrix demanded, sounding extremely irritable.

"Look," Lucius whispered. Bellatrix nearly shrieked, but was instantly muffled by Lucius' hand.

Sirius could not see inside, but his heart pounded against his chest as he wondered what Lucius had shown her. Judging from Bellatrix's reaction, it was something shocking. Naturally, Sirius wanted to know what it was…

"But…_how?!_ Why _you?_!"

Sirius could have sworn he heard a twinge of jealousy in his cousin's voice…

"I've proven myself worthy," Lucius replied harshly. "Which is more than what I can say for you…tell me, how is Defense Against the Dark Arts going?"

Bellatrix was silent. Sirius could practically feel her fury radiating through the walls of the room. Was Lucius actually mocking her for her failure to get expelled as he had?

Sirius inched his way closer to the crack in the door, hoping to get a glimpse at something.

"Try as you might, Bellatrix, you just can't—"

"_Shut it!_" Bellatrix screeched as she suddenly flicked her wand at the door, revealing Sirius at once.

He stared at the two for several seconds, unable to believe that someone as sneaky and clever as himself had been caught. How Bella knew he was back there, he couldn't say. Perhaps it was that freakish intuition she possessed. He looked down towards Lucius, who still had his left sleeve rolled up. There was a dark black mark burned into his skin on the forearm. It looked like a skull with a snake's tongue, but Sirius only saw it for a moment, as Lucius immediately yanked the sleeve down.

"Why…come in, Sirius," Bellatrix whispered icily. When Sirius didn't move, she whipped him inside with another flick of the wand and the door slammed noiselessly behind him.

Sirius wasn't scared at all. He knew he should be, especially of Bellatrix, but he felt oddly calm. He had grown up in a house of Dark Arts-obsessed people, and these two weren't any different.

"Sorry to interrupt…I thought you were Santa," he joked. "Nice tattoo, by the way," he added, nodding to Lucius. "Have you got one too, Bella?"

Bellatrix looked livid, but couldn't find words to answer him. Sirius forced himself to suppress a grin, knowing he had struck a nerve.

"Get out!" Lucius snarled at him, pointing his wand threateningly at Sirius' forehead.

Still unable to control himself, Sirius smiled. "Excuse me mate, I thought this was _my_ house."

That did it. Bellatrix lost it and flung him out of the room sooner than Sirius could even raise his wand in defence. Sirius landed hard on his back and tumbled down the short staircase that led to the main hallway.

"Fine!" Sirius growled from the other side of the door. He had seen enough anyway…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Hey Severus…you've got an owl."

Severus looked up from his desk and sighed. It couldn't possibly be Lily. She was so mad at him that she hadn't even written to wish him a happy Christmas this year. Christmas was three days ago, and it was the worst one Severus had ever celebrated. Sure, it was nice knowing that he had at least one friend that still liked him, but as much as he hated to admit it, he missed James and Sirius' hijinks. Remus was quiet and well, _sane_, but the days seemed to drag by without those two around.

Aside from eating lunch, Severus had done nothing but sleep on Christmas. He hadn't been sick or tired really, he was just feeling a little depressed about his last conversation with Lily.

"What is it?" he asked glumly, praying that the message was from his mother, saying that his father had been arrested or killed.

"It's from…Sirius."

"What?!" Severus jumped up and snatched the letter out of Remus' hand. He quickly scanned through the letter, then handed it to his friend.

"I knew it…I knew it…" Severus muttered.

Remus threw the letter on the desk and sat across from him. "So Malfoy's really gone and done it? You really think Sirius was telling the truth?"

"I don't think anyone would lie about this— even Sirius," he added, noticing Remus' skeptical expression. Ignoring the disturbed stares from the other Gryffindors in the common room, Severus began pacing back and forth, trying to piece everything together.

So Lucius Malfoy was now a Death Eater. Sirius claimed to have seen the Dark Mark himself, and apparently Bellatrix Black wasn't a member yet as Severus had initially believed. He knew Malfoy's only goal in life was to join the Dark Lord, but it seemed a little extreme for a mere sixteen year old to gain entry into the elite group of Dark wizards. Something he had done must have proven his worth to them, but what? Severus paced more furiously still, trying to reason this out. Suddenly, he stopped.

"You don't think Malfoy stole James' cloak, do you?" he asked slowly. "I heard he got expelled for thievery…"

Remus frowned. "But it got returned didn't it?"

"Yeah, into my bag! Someone was trying to frame me! It had to be him!"

Remus didn't look convinced. "But how did he get in here? And he was a prefect, do you honestly think he'd try something like breaking into another house's common room?"

"Well…no," Severus admitted. "But it _had_ to be him. He might have had an accomplice…he was a sixth year wasn't he? Then he probably knew how to make a Polyjuice Potion…yes, it all makes sense!"

Severus was disappointed to see that his friend wasn't exactly excited about these revelations as he was.

"I'm sorry; it doesn't really seem possible…even for Malfoy. And if the cloak was returned, then why was he expelled?"

"I don't know! Perhaps he was trying to steal something even more valuable with it?"

Remus laughed and shook his head in defeat. "Severus, you're so determined to hate Malfoy that you're not even making sense."

Severus glared at him. He _knew_ he was right. He _had_ to be. Malfoy had framed him— how, he couldn't say, but that didn't matter at the moment— and this could potentially be evidence for James that would clear Severus' name. He would figure out Malfoy's motivations later…

**xXxXxXxXx**

Standing before Lord Voldemort was the son of one of his Death Eaters. He was strangely calm, his gaze unfocused and unblinking, despite the luminous moon and shimmering snow around them. He had been under a well-cast Imperius Curse since August, and yet, he had still failed to accomplish the task in which he had been ordered to perform. This did not please Voldemort.

Rather than obliterating the Mudbloods from his precious school, the boy had only managed to mangle one girl to the point where she had to be hospitalized at St. Mungo's. It was a start, but once Voldemort learned of her speedy recovery, he was more than displeased; he was downright livid.

It was time to resort to drastic measures, and, thanks to Lucius Malfoy, it was finally possible to do so.

Voldemort held up his wand and a golden locket embossed in emeralds in the shape of an _S._ The boy still did not tremble fearfully or fall to his knees, begging for mercy. He waited patiently for his next command, and he would not argue no matter how extreme his master's request might be. There was only one proven method of killing Mudbloods indirectly, and the Dark Lord knew no boundaries...

"Don't worry," Voldemort hissed softly, smiling cruelly as he spoke. "This won't hurt at all."

* * *

**A/N: **_You'll find out what Voldemort did eventually...it's pretty gruesome, but I'll save you from all the gory details ;)_

_Next chapter: a major plot point from the HP series will be used, but it will be entirely different than the way it happened in the books (and it's in Marauder era, instead of HRH era). _

_Once again, I'd love to hear your comments/speculations/constructive criticism. Thanks for reading! :)_


	27. Caught Red Handed

**A/N: **_Nothing to say except thanks to everyone who reviewed! Your comments really help me improve the plot and writing! Oh, and **happy birthday to Harry Potter & J.K. Rowling!!** :)_

* * *

"So…is it true? Did Lucius…?"

Laika glanced up at their compartment door to ensure that it was locked tightly, then nodded. Narcissa gasped, but Lily and Regulus gave her blank stares, not knowing what they were talking about.

"The Mark," Laika whispered impatiently with a gesture to her left arm. Regulus understood at once, but Lily was still confused. From Christmas onward, Sirius had been going around muttering something about Lucius' new tattoo, but she didn't understand what was so great about it. Petunia's first and current boyfriends both had tattoos, perhaps they were something of a rarity in the Wizarding world?

"Did _he_ do it himself?" Regulus asked excitedly. None of them seemed to have noticed Lily's perplexity, and she felt her cheeks grow hot. Even Regulus, who was a year younger than her, knew far more than she did about this 'Mark' thing. Granted, he _did_ come from a pureblood Wizarding family, but it still felt wrong for him to know more than she did.

"Who's 'he'?" Lily asked.

Clearly annoyed, Laika rolled her eyes. "The Dark Lord, of course."

As if that explained everything.

In the past, Lily read articles from the _Daily Prophet_ that told of terrible deeds performed by someone whom the Wizarding community would only refer to as "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" and "You-Know-Who."

_But I don't know who!_ Lily remembered thinking irritably.

Before she and Severus had gone to Hogwarts, he would always refer to him the "Dark Lord." Lily could only wonder what the real name of this wizard was, but even Severus wouldn't speak his name. Perhaps the name was cursed or tabooed?

She hadn't heard much about this 'Dark Lord' fellow in the last few weeks, but then again, she was often too preoccupied to bother with reading the _Daily Prophet_, thus, she was admittedly behind the times. Whoever he was, he didn't sound like a good person, but she also recalled how Severus spoke positively of him in the months before their first year at Hogwarts. That was before he was Sorted into Gryffindor. He had once mentioned— _very_ briefly— of his aspirations to join the Dark Lord's elite group of followers called the Death Eaters. He had never explained why, and she had never heard him mention it since that day. He also didn't explain why they were called 'Death Eaters' but Lily figured it sounded better than 'Life Eaters.'

If Lucius had gotten some sort of mark from the Dark Lord, did this mean he was now one of the Death Eaters? Lily didn't know, and she wasn't about to ask them to confirm her suspicions. Maybe she could ask Severus what Death Eaters do…whenever they patched up their friendship, that is.

Already behind in the conversation, Lily gave up listening to her friends and watched students passing by their compartment. They were almost back to Hogwarts, and everyone was changing back into their school robes.

Christmas had been pretty boring, and Lily couldn't say that she was disappointed to go to leave Grimmauld Place. The Blacks had been wonderfully hospitable towards her, but two weeks of being around Sirius and Lucius had driven her mad. Narcissa had been somewhat companionable, though Laika had been busy fussing over her brother and Regulus had been ill the entire time. Bellatrix never talked to anyone except for Narcissa, but Lily was convinced that, deep down, she was really a nice person…

Suddenly, a horrific sight met Lily's eyes: limping slowly down the hallway, assisted by one of the Ravenclaw prefects, was Melika Zula. She had been in St. Mungo's for the past two months; did Dumbledore honestly think she was in any shape to return to school? She looked dreadful! Her arms were still scarred from the attacks, even the strongest of magical ointments and medications had failed to heal them. Worse still, with every step, her head twitched unnaturally, as though she had been shocked by a powerful electrical wire. Lily thought she had been frightening as a limp figure on the ground covered in blood, but that was nothing compared to the overall damage she was seeing before her.

"Look who's back," Laika said grimly, as though she had been hoping that Melika would die at St. Mungo's and spare them from having her as their roommate again.

Lily looked to her left and saw Regulus' eyes widen fearfully.

"Is that…that girl?" he whispered, looking appalled by the sight of the girl walking towards them.

Lily nodded. Regulus had been there too; only he could understand the horror Lily was feeling. Her body gave a jolt as she made eye contact with Melika: she may be alive and walking, but her eyes were dead. There was simply no life left in them, almost as though she had been Kissed by one of the Dementors Sev had told her about. It was a chilling sight, and the thought that she was going to be sleeping in the same room as the three girls again was not exactly comforting.

"Did Dumbledore ever find out who attacked her?" Narcissa whispered, cringing as Melika clumsily tripped and slammed into the wall next to their compartment. One of the Hufflepuff prefects jumped up to assist her; Lily found it sadly ironic that nobody from Slytherin could bother with helping a member of their own house.

_You're a Slytherin too,_ Lily remembered with a pang of guilt. But for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to get up and help the poor girl. She knew it was the right thing to do, but she just couldn't do it. Not now. Not in front of her friends.

"I heard the attacker was never caught," Laika said, shrugging indifferently. "Serves her right, if you ask me…Mudbloods in Slytherin! Can you believe that?"

Lily froze. As Laika had asked the question, her gaze had landed on Lily. She didn't think Laika _knew_, so was it merely a coincidence? Trying to hide her panic, Lily laughed uncomfortably.

"Yeah…Mudbloods."

All of a sudden, Lily felt an overwhelming urge to cry. She had had a lovely Christmas compared to some she had celebrated in the past and she was lucky to have these friends, but she felt horrible. Not only was she refusing to help a girl from her own house and year, but she was, once again, going along with her friends' anti-Muggleborn sentiments. It would have been fine if she was one of those comedians who constantly mocked their own race on television, but those programs were purely satirical. Her situation was real, not to mention dangerous if any of them ever discovered the truth.

Laika had continued talking to Regulus, but Narcissa was still watching her curiously. Lily gave her a small smile, trying to pretend everything was alright. She didn't need anyone asking what was wrong with her. She needed someone who would understand what she was going through without prodding her for details. Someone who wasn't inherently biased against what she truly was, a Muggleborn. A Mudblood. She needed Sev.

**xXxXxXxXx**

Although it was the fifth day of classes since the rest of the student body returned to Hogwarts, it was actually the first day back for Severus, who had been so ill that he had been up in the hospital wing since Sunday. He had just been released this morning, and what better way to start the new term than arriving late to Professor Umbridge's Defense Against the Dark Arts class?

Cursing under his breath as he ran along the deserted corridors, Severus knew he would probably get a detention for his tardiness, despite the fact that it was Madam Pomfrey's fault for releasing him so late. Peeves had tried slowing him down on the fourth floor, but thanks to a certain useful spell Severus had learned over the holiday, the irritating ghost had left him alone.

"You're late."

"Happy Christmas to you too," Severus muttered under his breath as he stalked over to an empty seat in between James and Remus. He didn't even stop to offer an excuse this time; he was Umbridge's least favourite student at Hogwarts and she wouldn't believe him even if the truth smacked her in the face.

"Detention."

"Yes, I thought it might come to that," he mumbled sarcastically. He didn't care if she gave him one hundred detentions; he just didn't feel like putting up with the unbearable wretch today.

Today's lesson consisted mostly of reading assignments, which furthered Severus' cantankerous mood. When they were actually practicing defensive spells, he found it so much easier to relieve his stress than when he was forced to sit and read a textbook he had already gone through and memorized the previous summer.

_Summer…_

The text swam before his eyes as his thoughts transitioned from Disarming Spells to daydreams about last summer. He had enjoyed himself for the most part, even with that bloody stupid cat Lily had forced him to keep. He and Lily had had a great time spying on Petunia and her boyfriend, Daniel Granger. Annoying Petunia was definitely at the top of Severus' list of his favourite things to do, and when Granger wasn't around, he would loudly tell Lily all sorts of things about magic that would drive her sister up the walls.

It had been one of the best summers of his life, and now Lily wasn't even speaking to him. Not that he blamed her, knowing how badly he had treated her on that last night before she had left for the holidays. He wanted to apologize, but he just couldn't, even to his best friend. He couldn't even look at Lily, let alone approach her. Someday, he vowed he would get over this minor insecurity, but for now he remained where he was.

On the bright side, Sirius had persuaded James to forget the whole Cloak incident. His anger was virtually gone after he returned from Hogwarts anyway, and the two boys were on good terms again. Astoundingly, James had actually admitted he was _sorry_ for blaming Severus, something he didn't know the arrogant prat had in him. When Severus mentioned this, James had brushed it off and, grinning stupidly, called him Snivellus.

All of a sudden, Sirius and James snorted, trying to conceal their laughter. Severus looked down at James' book, where he had drawn Umbridge in the form of a pig, with "Professor Sausage" written at the top. Neither Severus nor Remus found this amusing, and apparently Umbridge didn't either.

"Give. It. To. Me," she hissed threateningly, holding out her chubby hand in front of James' nose.

_At least I won't have detention alone, _Severus thought as James cheerfully handed his masterpiece to Umbridge.

"Do you like it?" he asked airily, exuding confidence in a way that only James Potter could. Ignoring Umbridge's enraged expression, he continued onward, "You know, I specialize in self-portraits, but since you're a faculty member, I'll give you that one for free."

"_DETENTION!_" Umbridge shrieked, ripping the page from the book and burning it with a harsh flick of her wand. James looked devastated, not because he had gotten another detention, but his artwork had been diminished to a pile of ashes on his desk.

"Art murderer," James muttered under his breath as Umbridge stomped away. "Oh well…wasn't _my_ book," he added, grinning mischievously up at Severus. He immediately grabbed the book and shuffled through the pages, thinking it was _his_. It wasn't a D.A.D.A. book at all, but what appeared to be someone's diary, inscribed in dazzling pink ink underneath all of James' various doodles and drawings. On the inside cover, it read: _Property of Dolores Umbridge._

How James had gotten his hands on this was anyone's guess.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Seagulls…seagulls…seagulls…"

Lily, Narcissa, and Laika cringed in mild disgust as they watched Melika sleep from their hiding place on the floor behind Narcissa's bed. The girl had been muttering incoherent nonsense all week, and they were beginning to wonder if she would have been better off staying in the loony ward at St. Mungo's a while longer.

"Deranged, she is," Laika muttered sleepily. Yawning, Narcissa nodded in agreement and Lily followed suit. Melika's occasional shrieks of terror every night had meant little sleep for the girls, and they had absolutely no patience or pity left for her. All they wanted was a good night's sleep, but this was now impossible, thanks to Melika.

It was only ten o'clock, but they were all exhausted from the day's lessons. Lily was feeling particularly down: all of her attempts to apologize to Severus had failed so far. First, he was late to Defense Against the Dark Arts. He hadn't even looked around for her as he came into the classroom, and despite her rather obvious attempt to get his attention— 'dropping' her book right next to his desk— he had ignored her the entire time. Herbology was with the Hufflepuffs, and Lily's grades were so poor in that class that she simply couldn't afford to skip it. Afternoon Potions hadn't gone much better than Umbridge's class. It seemed as though Severus was deliberately avoiding eye contact with her, and just when Lily mustered up the courage to walk straight up to him and demand that he talk to her, she tripped over Potter's outstretched foot and fell flat on her face in front of everyone. That was the final straw: Lily burst into tears and ran out of the classroom, ignoring Slughorn's calls for her to come back. She was so embarrassed she didn't even care what punishment lay in store for her the next time she had Potions.

_I hate Potter, _Lily fumed silently. There was no doubt in her mind that he had intentionally left his foot there for someone to trip over, and much to his delight, it had been _her._

"Lily? Are you alright?" Narcissa asked, nodding to her tightly clenched fists. Lily quickly relaxed them and shook her head.

"I'm just…tired," she lied.

Aside from Melika's strange midnight monologues, it was quiet throughout their dormitory and the Slytherin common room. Even at this early hour, it seemed as though everyone had already gone to bed.

Lily sighed deeply, enjoying the peace and calmness. It was quite unlike Gryffindor Tower, where, according to Severus, people were loud and obnoxious at all hours of the night. She didn't know how someone like Severus could handle that, but he claimed he was okay with it as long as the noise stayed away from his dormitory.

_Creak. _

Lily sat up a little straighter at once, and noticed her friends do the same. Nobody had opened their door, but they certainly hadn't imagined the muffled creaking sound from outside of their dormitory.

"Did you hear it too?" Laika whispered as she got to her feet and tiptoed over to the door. She pressed her ear against it, waiting for another sound. Nothing came.

"It was probably just a rat," Narcissa shrugged. "They're all over the place here."

"They are?" Lily asked uneasily. Several students owned rats at Hogwarts, and she was fairly certain the rodents bred when they were together, but the thought of them roaming freely, especially around their sleeping quarters, scared her.

Laika cautiously peeked open the door and peered out into the blackness, looking around for an intruder.

"No one there," she said finally, obviously disappointed. Chasing down a trespasser would have been much more entertaining than sitting in here and listening to Melika's gibberish all night.

"Let's just get some sleep," Lily said, yawning for the trillionth time tonight. The girls agreed and returned to their own beds, ignoring the wretched cries of "seagulls…seagulls…" as they drifted off to sleep.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Pass the soap."

Not one for politeness while serving detention, James threw it at his friend.

Severus glared at him, but James was unrepentant. It was nearly eleven o'clock, and they had been scrubbing the centuries-old stone floors of the Charms corridor since nine. It was a horrendously dull task, and it didn't help that Umbridge had forced them to clean with toothbrushes. No wands allowed.

There was no time limit; Umbridge had merely told them to finish the job. If they didn't do it properly, she promised them another detention or two would be appropriate to ensure the cleanliness of the massive passageway. It was a vile job, and Severus found himself wondering if this was the first time this floor had ever been cleaned. It was a job fit for Filch, or house elves, but definitely not for students. Of course, Severus didn't complain as often as James did, but he still wasn't too happy with this impossible chore.

"I quit!" James declared angrily after his third toothbrush split in two from his efforts to scrub away what appeared to be vomit residue. He threw his toothbrush across the hall and stomped away, leaving Severus to finish the job.

"James!" Severus ran after his friend; there was no _way_ he was going to stay here by himself. He harshly grabbed James by the shoulder, but he shook his hand away with surprisingly resistant force.

"I'm done. Umbridge can't make me do that shit!" James shouted furiously.

"Shut it!" Severus hissed. "You'll wake up the entire castle."

"I don't care!"

Severus cringed as his friend's voice echoed off the walls around them; if Umbridge caught them, they would have detention with her for the rest of the year. They turned a corner into another corridor, which was thankfully abandoned. James continued his obnoxiously loud stomping, as though he was daring Umbridge to come and find him. Severus gave up trying to calm him down, it was no use. They would have to finish polishing the floors eventually, but there was no way he would get James to go back tonight.

As they passed by the end of the hall, Severus noticed something peculiar on the wall. At first, he thought it was just his imagination, but when he looked at it again, he saw that it was really there. He stopped in his tracks and stared, and James did the same.

"Chamber of Secrets," James breathed in an awed voice. "Oy what're you doing?!"

Ignoring his friend's protests, Severus jumped onto a step and carefully put his hand on the wall.

"It's written in blood," he said quietly. Turning to face James, he held up his blood-soaked hand and added: "Fresh blood."

"By the looks of it, they weren't finished," James noted, pointing at the wall.

The writing ended abruptly with "BEW;" the perpetrator had clearly intended on writing more, but had run off, probably when they heard James stomping into their territory.

Severus stared down at his hand, which was dripping with the blood from the writing on the walls. The actual meaning of the message hadn't sunk in yet; he was more concerned about whose blood this was and why someone had written with it.

"Whoever did this is going to be in a load of trouble," he said grimly.

"_Yes he is,_" a voice whispered from the shadows behind them.

The boys instantly whirled around and Severus felt his heart do a back flip: Darcy Umbridge was walking towards him, smiling menacingly. She had never looked more frightening. He looked down at his bloodied hand again and up at the writing on the wall, at once realizing how bad this looked.

"Professor, I didn't—"

"Tell it to the headmaster, dear."

* * *

**A/N: **_Okay, this is going to be long, so bear with me._

_For starters: Severus & his Death Eater plans. I think there's always been a small desire there to join the DE, but it wasn't until (in canon) he was sorted into Slytherin and hung out with DE-wannabe friends that his decision was truly concrete. Like Sirius said in GoF, Severus came to school knowing more Dark magic than some seventh years, so he probably has a pretty strong base of loyalty for Dark wizards as well (in this case, Voldemort). _

_As for the Chamber of Secrets: I warned you. Luckily, I can guarantee that, aside from Half Blood Prince (for very obvious reasons), this is the only canon-HP plot point I'll be using. No Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, no Prisoner of Azkaban (duh), not Goblet of Fire, no Order of the Phoenix (not for a looooong time anyway), and no Deathly Hallows. Since this is an AU story, I'm free to suggest that Harry Potter never even existed, therefore, the CoS wasn't opened in what would have been his second year. This story won't even follow canon anyway. Voldemort doesn't need a body at the moment, so his motivations for opening it are slightly different this time, as well as the consequences. Everything will be explained in time, and I think you will be surprised by what happens for the rest of Sev & Lily's second year. This also has a HUGE impact on their third year, but I won't spoil it._

_Thank you for reading, and keep the comments coming, because not only do I sincerely appreciate them, but they really help with the way I write these chapters. Thanks! :)_


	28. Sectumsempra

**A/N: **_Thank you to everyone who reviewed. This is where things get really interesting...this chapter is half plot and half filler, but it's good filler! Just some filling in the blanks from "The Prince's Tale." Enjoy~_

* * *

"Professor Dumbledore, I didn't do it."

"I believe you, Severus."

"You…do?"

"You do?!" Umbridge asked shrilly, digging her clawlike nails deeper into Severus' shoulders the angrier she became.

It was nearly midnight, and after a long day of teaching and dealing with rebellious students, Darcy Umbridge's patience was wearing thin. Just ten minutes ago, she had caught her least favourite student writing a message on the walls in blood. It couldn't have been a better moment for her: caught— literally— red-handed, Severus Snape would undoubtedly receive a massive punishment for his crimes. Ignoring the boy's protests, she had jerked him by the arm all the way to Dumbledore's office. Without bothering to knock, Umbridge had charged inside and harshly shoved Severus into a nearby chair before announcing to Dumbledore and McGonagall that he had done something terrible and _she_ had caught him in the act.

"I believe that you did not open the Chamber of Secrets; I highly doubt it has been opened at all," Dumbledore continued quietly.

Umbridge scoffed. "You can't be saying that you believe there is such a thing?"

McGonagall, clearly offended by Umbridge's lack of respect for her colleagues, opened her mouth to speak, but Dumbledore held up his hand for silence. Severus didn't _dare_ speak a word while his professors argued; he wanted to hear what the headmaster had to say about this. His heart was pounding forcefully against his chest, and his mind was whirring, wondering why _he_ always ended up in trouble and his friends— namely, _James_— were never caught.

A long time ago, he had heard about the Chamber of Secrets, but he had thought it was just a myth. Something about Salazar Slytherin…aside from that, he couldn't remember anything.

"Darcy, if there is no such thing, then why have you brought this boy to my office at this hour for a minor case of vandalism?"

Umbridge was affronted. "Well!" she bristled, "I would think that someone such as yourself would care about students sabotaging your school!"

"_But I didn't_—" Severus cut in, only to be silenced once more.

"Think of your students, Dumbledore," Umbridge continued, breathing heavily. "The boy was obviously trying to scare them into thinking such a thing actually existed! Not to mention the questionable ink in which he used to write it!"

"Was it really written with blood, Severus?" McGonagall asked calmly. He knew she was looking at his hand, where the blood had now dried onto his skin. He looked to Dumbledore, who was watching him curiously, rather than disapprovingly. Severus got a strange feeling that the headmaster was going to use Legilimency against him before he could declare him guilty. Unconsciously, Severus freely allowed the man to see his thoughts. After all, he was not exactly skilled in Occlumency and this could possibly prove his innocence.

"Yes," he answered McGonagall. "I don't know where it came from though, and I didn't write it," he added firmly.

"Then you are free to leave," Dumbledore said at last, waving to the door. This sudden dismissal was unexpected but relieving as well. Shielding his face from Umbridge, Severus hurriedly nodded goodnight to McGonagall and ran out before Umbridge could find yet another reason to punish him.

"You let him go free?!" Darcy shrieked after the door had closed behind them.

"He was telling the truth, Darcy."

"But I caught him—!"

"The only issue now is who truly did it," Dumbledore muttered, ignoring Darcy's protests.

"It can't be open again, Albus?" Minerva whispered.

Darcy looked from Dumbledore to Minerva in disgust. "You two honestly believe there _is_ a Chamber of Secrets? It's a myth! A legend!"

Dumbledore got to his feet and stared directly into the woman's eyes, smiling as she cowered slightly. "It is real, Darcy, I cannot help if your superiors at the Ministry have not seen fit to inform you of this. It has not been opened in nearly three decades, however. I cannot say if it has been opened once more or if this is merely a student prank…the latter certainly seems more accurate, seeing that the one who opened it the first time has since left Hogwarts."

Darcy was speechless. She couldn't tell if Dumbledore had lost his marbles or was telling the truth; she had been working at the Ministry of Magic for thirty two years and had never heard of such an incident. Surely a woman of her standing in the Ministry would have known if this was indeed true?

She eventually concluded that she was at least right about Snape; no matter what Dumbledore said, she _knew_ Snape was trying to stir up chaos behind her back.

_And he didn't think he'd be caught,_ she thought triumphantly. She didn't know how the boy had won over Dumbledore, but she was still determined to give him the punishment he deserved…

"Seeing as there is no evidence that the Chamber of Secrets has indeed been opened, I believe it is wise to drop the matter for now," Dumbledore said finally.

Inwardly, he was slightly worried about the message the Snape boy had found written on the walls, but this was definitely not the first time a student had attempted scaring other students like this. Unless they found evidence to the contrary, he would simply assume this was yet another false alarm. For now, he would keep a closer eye on the happenings within his school, but he was fairly certain that even a wizard as great as Tom couldn't operate within the castle completely undetected. The Imperius Curse could only do so much, and he doubted anyone but the Heir himself would be able to open the Chamber and release the monster of Slytherin upon his school again…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"_Sectum…sectum…sectumsempra!"_

Nothing.

Severus growled and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He had been working on this spell since the beginning of last summer, and so far, nothing. Ever since he had learned that people could actually invent new magic, he had successfully created just one measly spell, and it was hardly better than a regular Shielding Charm. _Sectumsempra_ was an idea he had been fiddling around with since he was nine years old, the year he read his first book on creating one's own spells. Initially, Severus had been excited by the idea, but it was turning out to be much more difficult that he had initially believed.

He knew what _Sectumsempra_ was supposed to look like, but he didn't know how he'd actually go about performing it. The lizard he had found sunbathing on a rock by the lake this morning was his current victim, and it hadn't spilled a single drop of blood yet.

Severus couldn't explain why he wanted to create a spell that would have a sword-like effect on his victim, spurting their blood all over the place until they fell helplessly to the ground, begging for mercy. The image in his head was strangely fascinating to him; this violent streak must have come from years of being bullied, by his father and the Muggle kids at his former school. He would never get to use _Sectumsempra_ on them of course, but he wouldn't hesitate to use it on an enemy in the wizarding world— if he ever managed to finish it, anyway.

He looked over his shoulder to see if any of his friends had silently intruded in on him. Luckily, he was still alone. The last thing he needed right now was everyone badgering him with a million more questions.

It had been two nights since the writing on the wall incident, and within twelve hours, it seemed as though the entire school knew about what he had supposedly done. The Gryffindors believed his side of the story, that he had just been in the wrong place at the wrong time, but members of the other three houses weren't so confident in him. Most of the non-Gryffindor students believed he really wrote the message, and some even went as far as saying he really _did_ open the Chamber of Secrets, despite the fact that there had been absolutely no attacks as of yet.

Trying to create new Dark spells like _Sectumsempra_ certainly wouldn't improve his reputation, but Severus didn't care. Focusing all his energy into making the damn spell work took his mind off of what others were whispering behind his back in the halls in between classes.

"_Sectumsempra!_"

The lizard looked up at him and yawned, obviously tired from having the young wizard muttering nonsense at it all afternoon. Severus shoved his wand into his pocket and sighed.

His mood had gone from bad to worse lately, thanks to Professor Umbridge's nasty remarks about rebellious students (him) who got away with terrible deeds (writing threatening messages on the walls). He couldn't even remember the last time a class had gone by where she didn't insult him at least twice.

Nearly all of the Slytherins in his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Mulciber, Malfoy, Black, Avery, Pettigrew, Goyle, Gehringer, and McNair, relished in Umbridge's criticism of him. Lily was the only one who remained quiet. When her friends started laughing, Severus would sometimes hear her tell them to shut up. Yesterday, unable to control himself after this happened, he turned around and smiled gratefully at her. She noticed him at once and, reddening slightly, she smiled back. So there was still hope left after all.

"_Don't worry mate, we believe you,"_ James had informed him the moment he walked into their dormitory the night of the incident. As annoying as he could be sometimes (well, actually, most of the time), James was undoubtedly a good friend, Severus knew. Sirius and Remus nodding in agreement only made him feel better.

Thinking back on it, Severus realized this was the first time he ever had friends (besides Lily, of course). Before he met Lily, his mother would often restrict him from leaving the boundaries of the neighbourhood. He didn't mind this too much, but it only increased his loneliness, since all of his neighbours down at Spinner's End consisted of cranky old retirees, convicted child molesters, and deadbeat drug addicts. Hardly what he'd consider friendship material.

Later on, he had not been popular in Muggle school, thanks to his peculiar displays of accidental magic. Smiling slyly, he remembered the first time in memory he had performed magic. He had been three or four at the time, and he had made his father's favourite telly explode by simply staring at it. That was later followed by an incident where he 'accidentally' turned all of his father's countless bottles of rum and whiskey into chocolate milk. The lashing that had followed had not been pleasant, but Severus could not help but think of it as a happy memory.

From a young age, he had maintained unusually good control over his magic: he could make bad things happen to the kids who were mean to him at school, the teachers who punished him would often experience a rather horrifying hairstyle change, and one time, after a particularly miserable day at school, Severus accidentally performed the equivalent of Apparition and went from the playground to his bedroom in the blink of an eye. He had been expelled that day for 'ditching class,' which was perfectly fine with him, because that meant he never had to go back to wretched school.

Once he was free from that burden, Severus turned to magic to solve his other problems: his out of control father, the endless days of boredom, and his scarcity of friends. He figured he would be alone for the next three years— until the summer when he would receive his Hogwarts letter— but everything changed a year later. He had just been sitting by himself among the bushes— as usual— when a small redhead girl and her overbearing sister came to the park for the first time. He had never seen them before, and he assumed they were just a couple of pretty Muggle girls— until he saw the redhead turn the sandbox into a small pool on a warm summer day. That was when he _knew_, and when it became apparent that she didn't realize what she was, he had anxiously gone about planning ways to tell her that she was a witch.

When the big day had come, everything had gone horribly wrong. Things always went horribly wrong for Severus Snape, so he didn't quite know why he had expected anything different.

Besides this unlucky streak, Severus had always been extremely shy. He never thought he'd see the day when seemingly normal kids would actually want to have a friendly conversation with him, instead of bullying and mocking him. Now, here at Hogwarts, he was actually _friends_ with these seemingly normal kids.

Despite Umbridge's taunting voice still ringing in his ears and his latest failures with _Sectumsempra, _simply thinking about his friends made him feel better. He still couldn't muster up the courage to start talking to Lily again, but their brief eye contact yesterday was a start, nonetheless.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Hey Sev."

Severus' heart flip-flopped in his chest at the sound of Lily's voice softly floating into his ear. He hesitantly looked away from the Potions book and to his right, where Lily sat, smiling. Beyond her, he saw Malfoy and Black glaring at him. Somehow, seeing Lily go against her friends' wishes to talk to him only made him feel better about this.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Severus shook his head slowly and moved the textbook closer to Lily so she could read it too. Class didn't start for another five minutes, but silent reading was the only thing Severus could think of that would relieve the awkwardness of the situation.

Lily knew better.

"So, tell me more about this chamber of secrets," she said teasingly as she pushed the book aside. Severus heard James and Sirius gagging loudly behind him, but he ignored them.

"I didn't do anything," he sighed, trying not to be short with Lily, but after being asked about his involvement with the Chamber of Secrets hundreds of times already, he couldn't help but feel irritated with her idea of a joke. However, keeping the conversation away from his outburst at Christmastime was his primary goal, and he would go along with the Chamber of Secrets talk if he had to.

Lily's smile disappeared and her expression grew more serious. "I know. But Laika seems to think it really has been opened," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "she keeps saying something about how Mud—"

"Don't," Severus interrupted her at once.

"So you know what this chamber has to do with Mud—I mean, Muggleborns?" Lily whispered so quietly that Severus could barely hear her.

He shrugged. "Lily, if Dumbledore doesn't really think it has been opened, then I don't think we should worry. No, I don't know much about it though," he added.

Lily looked a little doubtful, but her troubled expression immediately disappeared as she looked down at his notebook.

"_Sectum…sempra_? What's that?"

"Nothing," he said hurriedly and slammed it shut. If Lily ever found out what _Sectumsempra_ was supposed to do…he'd be in a load of trouble.

Lily frowned, but didn't say anything. He was obviously still stressed over the Chamber of Secrets episode, and she didn't want to harass their already fragile friendship.

_Hiss…_

Severus blinked and looked up at Lily. "What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Are you sure?" Severus _knew_ he heard something, but…no, that couldn't have come from Lily. He probably just imagined it…

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Hiss…_

"There! Do you hear it?" Severus whispered.

Underneath the Invisibility Cloak, Severus could feel his friends nodding silently.

_Idiots…like I can actually see you nodding when we're invisible!_

"Where's if coming from?" Sirius asked.

"It's probably just a broken pipe," James said. "Nothing important."

"But…I've been hearing it all day. It can't just be one pipe."

_And it might not be a pipe at all,_ Severus added silently.

It was already past midnight, and the three Gryffindors were on a nightly prowl, investigating the source of the hissing sounds Severus had been hearing all day. Thankfully, they were all short enough to fit under the Cloak, and the prefects on night patrol hadn't even noticed them. It would have been much more difficult to fit all four of the boys under the Cloak, but Remus had been "feeling ill" and left for the Hospital Wing immediately after dinner. Severus felt a pang of pity for the boy, realizing what he really meant. James and Sirius had been adamant about going after him to make sure he "got there safely," but Severus knew they just wanted to find out what was really wrong with him and convinced them to go on this little adventure instead.

As they continued creeping down the shadowed corridors, Severus' thoughts kept drifting back to Remus. He wished there was something he could do to help his friend, but he didn't know much about werewolves. Remus had once mentioned that his transformations were painful and his confinement was lonely; somehow, Severus thought those were understatements. Severus was no stranger to loneliness, but he didn't know how to keep a fully-transformed werewolf company without getting bitten. Remus wouldn't know what he was doing, of course, but Severus wasn't exactly keen on joining the pack with him.

He promised himself he'd think of something. A potion or spell or _something_. Anything to help his friend.

_Hiss…_

"There it is again," James whispered, interrupting Severus' thoughts. The Cloak slipped off of their heads, giving them the appearance of three heads that had misplaced their bodies.

"The noise came from in there," Sirius said, pulling the Cloak off of his hand and pointing at a door down the hall. Severus was rather skeptical of this, but James agreed with Sirius, and the majority vote always wins.

"Agh! It's the girl's bathroom," he said in disgust once they reached the door. "I'm _not_ going in there."

"Why not? I'd say you're more qualified than Sev or me," Sirius replied haughtily. Severus muffled a snort; for the first time ever, he found one of Sirius' jokes amusing. James was none too pleased with allowing his friends to make a mockery of his manhood and irritably shoved Sirius towards the door, saying "Real ladies first, Sirius!"

It opened immediately, and Sirius fell to the water-covered ground with a mighty splash. It was quite dark inside, but the full moon faintly illuminated the main entrance to the decaying bathroom. Severus and James hesitantly walked forward with their wands and whispered "_Lumos."_

There was nothing special about this room. There were hundreds of cracks in the sinks and mirrors, and the floor was flooded up to the boys' ankles. Some of the toilets to their right were still regurgitating water, and one of the faucets on the sinks was still running.

"Doesn't look like anyone's been in here for years," Severus breathed, trying to ignore the strange chill running up his spine. If there was nothing peculiar about this bathroom then why was his body shaking as though he'd just seen something terrifying? Judging by his friend's facial expressions, they were feeling the same way.

"What's that?" James asked suddenly, pointing at a motionless glowing mass that looked sickeningly like a corpse. Trying to suppress their fear, the trio cautiously crept forward and peered down at the person.

She had two girlish pigtails and a pair of the ugliest glasses they'd ever seen. She was obviously a ghost, but when Severus poked her with his foot, her body remained stubbornly rigid. Ghosts weren't supposed to be solid…

Looking up towards her face, Severus noticed something else odd: her eyes were wide open as though she had seen something truly horrific. But what could that be?

"I think she's been Petrified," Severus said at last. There were simply no other possibilities. Ghosts didn't need to sleep, and they couldn't die again…his conclusion was the only one that made sense.

"How do you Petrify a ghost?"

"I think it's more of a _why_ Petrify a ghost? What's the point?"

None of them knew the answer to that. Was she not the intended victim? Perhaps the attacker mistook her for their real target? They didn't know who she was either, but right now that didn't matter…

_Hiss…_

The boys' eyes widened at the return of the hissing. This time, it was louder than ever, practically echoing in their ears. Their blood ran cold as their minds unconsciously made the connection between the Petrified body and the hissing noises. The light at the tips of their wands fell dark, and the room felt suddenly chilly, as though a few dementors had intruded in on them. The three Gryffindors' courage was on its last limb: slowly looking from the body up to each other's ghastly pale faces, they screamed.

* * *

**A/N: **_Hey, even Gryffindors get scared sometimes. _

_In case you're wondering why I made Dumbledore look like an idiot: he's not. At this point in the timeline, he doesn't know about Horcruxes (the only way Tom Riddle operated within the castle without actually being present), and unlike HP canon, there was no evidence (such as Mrs. Norris) to prove that the CoS really has been opened. _

_Sectumsempra will be important to this story. I know he wrote it in his sixth year potions book, but that doesn't mean Severus didn't invent this curse earlier. In DH, someone said Sectumsempra was his specialty, and when you have a 'specialty' it's usually something you learned very early on (like an athlete specializing in a certain sport). Also, none of our Gryffindor boys can speak Parseltongue. Just thought I'd remind you of that. _

_Anyway, thank you for reading, and as always, I appreciate your comments on these chapters :)_


	29. Mysterious Circumstances

**A/N: **_Thank you for all of your comments! Enjoy~_

* * *

After nearly twenty years of teaching young witches and wizards Transfiguration and overseeing the house of Gryffindor at Hogwarts, Minerva McGonagall was used to dealing with the occasional bad seeds. The screaming boys she heard outside of her private quarters, however, were not just bad seeds. No, they were much worse. She immediately recognized the screams; they belonged to Potter and Black, two of the most troublesome students she had ever taught. What they were doing out of bed at this hour, she did not know, but they were going to be in huge trouble no matter what their crazy excuse was this time.

Jumping out of bed with the agility of someone much younger than herself, Minerva threw a cloak over her night clothes, pocketed her wand, and charged out the door, preparing for the worst.

"Boys!" she yelled after them as she watched not two, but _three_ figures round the corner in the opposite direction. Their desperate cries for help died at once as they switched gears and sprinted over to her. Potter and Black would have trampled her if Snape hadn't grabbed their shirts in time; the boys had wild, deranged looks about them, as though they had just seen something dreadful.

"What are you three doing out of bed at this hour?" she demanded as they tried catching their breaths in order to speak properly. "The entire castle must be awake by now."

Potter and Black began speaking at once, but unfortunately they were so frenzied that they simply weren't making any sense at all.

"Professor, in the bathroom—"

"Girl…on ground—"

"Hissing—"

"Got scared…lights went out—"

"He tripped me, I fell—"

"Loud hissing…so cold—"

"Looking for a broken pipe—"

"Ghost—"

"Boys!" Minerva cried exasperatedly, trying to comprehend what they were saying, but it sounded like utter nonsense the more panicked they became. Her irritation with them for being out after curfew was slowly fading away; surprisingly, their fear was genuine, and she needed to know what had happened to ensure the safety of the students. If this turned out to be just another one of their pranks, then Minerva would punish them severely.

"Would you _please_ speak slowly…and logically?"

Potter and Black looked at each other wildly, as though wondering how they could possibly explain to their Head of House what horrors they had seen tonight.

"There's a Petrified ghost in the girl's bathroom back there," the quietest of the three, Snape replied. He wasn't as hysterical as his friends, but his face was ashen and troubled nevertheless.

Minerva stared at him as her mind registered what he had just said. A ghost…Petrified? Why, that hadn't happened since…

Minerva inhaled sharply, remembering it as though it were yesterday. It had been her sixth year at Hogwarts, and one of the school ghosts had been found stone-cold and solid, in an abandoned classroom, where a Muggleborn Hufflepuff boy had also laid, Petrified. That incident was then followed by the gruesome death of a Ravenclaw girl, Myrtle. That was the year the Chamber of Secrets had supposedly been opened.

Just a few nights ago, Snape and Potter found the statement on the wall that declared the Chamber had been opened once more. Was it possible that the boys were actually telling the truth?

"Take me to it," Minerva said stonily, all thoughts of punishment banished from her mind as she began formulating possible causes for the ghost's condition aside from the Chamber of Secrets. It couldn't be opened again…it just couldn't…

_Myrtle,_ Minerva thought sadly, recognizing the girl's appearance as soon as she stepped inside the shadowy bathroom. She was definitely Petrified; Snape had not been lying to her.

The three boys were staring at her with wide, anxious eyes as she exited the bathroom. She couldn't fathom what her three students were doing in a girl's bathroom in the first place, but she would have wait until Albus was here to ask them questions. There was little doubt in her mind that the Chamber was indeed active once more: the very girl who had died the first time around had been targeted again, for reasons unknown. Minerva had been one of the privileged few who knew Myrtle's death had not been 'a tragic accident.' Something serious was going on inside Hogwarts, and somehow her Gryffindor boys found themselves in the middle of everything.

Students from every house were now pouring into the hallways, sleepily murmuring what was going on.

"Go back to your houses immediately," Minerva ordered them sternly. "You three stay where you are," she added to Potter, Snape, and Black.

Horace, Pomona, and Filius arrived as the masses of students began trudging their way back to their dormitories, and Minerva knew Albus would come as soon as possible.

"Merlin's beard, what happened here?" Horace asked, looking half-asleep as he slumped against a nearby wall.

"A ghost has been Petrified," Minerva quietly informed them as the Gryffindor trio glanced at each other, wondering what kind of sinister plot they had discovered.

"I thought Professor McGonagall ordered students to go back to their houses?" Filius asked, watching the three boys suspiciously.

"They were the ones who found the girl," Minerva said. "Oh Albus, thank goodness you're here…"

Everyone's head darted up at the arrival of Albus Dumbledore. His wrinkled face was etched with worry, but he was quite successful in hiding this from the students. He silently entered the bathroom Minerva motioned to, and after a few tense moments of waiting, he came out, shaking his head grimly.

"I cannot say who could possibly have done it now, but it has been reopened," he said softly, his gaze landing on Severus. It was the second time that week that Severus felt as though Dumbledore was using Legilimency against him. But why _him?_

"Who opened it the first time?" Severus asked, unable to hold back. He knew he was talking about the Chamber of Secrets and something about the look in the old headmaster's eyes triggered his desire for answers. The Heads of House glared disapprovingly at him, but Dumbledore merely smiled.

"That is not of your concern, Mr. Snape."

"Why not?" he demanded. Normally he would have been horrified at the prospect of challenging one's authority, but tonight, not only was he exhausted, but he could have died in there for all he knew. He at least deserved some answers, not copouts.

Dumbledore's warm smile melted into a frown that matched his colleagues' faces. "Mr. Snape, I think it would be wise for you and your friends to return to your dormitory. Refusing to do so may result in severe punishment…"

"That's not fair," James growled under his breath on their way back to Gryffindor Tower. They had been so close to figuring out more clues about this mysterious, though well-named Chamber of Secrets. Now, thanks to Dumbledore, they were just as confused as the rest of the school.

None of the professors had questioned them as to what they were doing out so late, or why they had ventured into a bathroom for females. McGonagall's only concern had been getting them back to their dormitory safely. It was incredibly frustrating for them to have been so close and having to turn away at the moment of truce. The adults were clearly keeping something from them, and this only fuelled their thirst for answers even more.

"You reckon there really is a Chamber of Secrets?" Sirius asked, yawning.

James and Severus shrugged. If Dumbledore thought it was real, then the answer was undoubtedly a 'yes.' Perhaps it was time for a bit of research…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"So…it really is true then?"

"Of course it is. Only Salazar Slytherin's monster is powerful enough to Petrify people without getting caught. That girl's really in for it now."

"What girl?"

"Melika. A Mudblood in _Slytherin_…she'll be the first to go."

Ignoring the constricted feeling in her chest, Lily smiled weakly at Regulus. "Pity, huh?"

Regulus nodded silently and gazed pensively out towards the lake. It was nearly frozen over at this time of the year, and even though they were surrounded by snow, it was a surprisingly cool day, allowing the snowbound students to frolic outside for a little fresh air.

Lily and Regulus had been walking back and forth along the lake for nearly two hours, mainly discussing the recent events that had the entire school buzzing.

The walked on in silence for a few moments. Regulus was wholly untroubled by the Chamber of Secrets ordeal, but Lily was beginning to feel slightly worried, both for Melika and herself, the _two_ Slytherin Muggleborns. The chilly breeze whipped at their reddened cheeks, but the icy feeling at the pit of Lily's stomach had nothing to do with the outside temperature.

"Your mate…Snape," Regulus began slowly, choosing his words carefully so he would not upset his friend. They paused and looked at each other. "They're saying…he opened it."

Lily giggled. "Severus? They think _he_ opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

Regulus did not laugh. "Think about it, Lily: he was there when the writing on the wall was discovered, and he was there a few nights ago when they found the Petrified ghost."

"Potter was there both times too," Lily pointed out, but Regulus shook his head.

"Do you think an arrogant prat like Potter could do something like that?"

"I don't really think Severus could either—"

"He knows a lot of Dark Magic," Regulus stated bluntly with a tiny hint of envy in his voice. "You know he does."

"Yes…I won't deny it," Lily sighed, feeling more uncomfortable the longer she and Regulus discussed this. "But…you were saying it had to do with the Heir of Slytherin right? How could Severus be the Heir of Slytherin if he's in Gryffindor?"

"The Sorting Hat makes mistakes. Melika Zula certainly got missorted, and I've seen trolls that are cleverer than Peter Pettigrew. Snape probably could have been in Slytherin."

"I wish he was," Lily replied wistfully. Things would have been so much simpler between her and Severus if they had been in the same house.

Regulus frowned a bit and looked away from Lily. Upon seeing none other than Severus Snape himself walking toward them, he stiffly got to his feet.

"Just think on it," he muttered quietly, leaving Lily in his tracks as he jogged up ahead and passed Severus. The two boys exchanged brief glares; Severus was not pleased to see that Lily was still hanging around the little git, and Regulus did not appreciate Lily hanging around with Gryffindors.

"Still friends with _him_, I see?" Severus asked, nodding to Regulus retreating figure up ahead of them.

"Oh stop it," Lily snapped. "You're friends with Potter. James _Potter._"

"So what were you two talking about?" he asked, trying to come across as nonchalant, but failing miserably. Lily knew him too well to fall for that.

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just…curious."

Lily laughed. "Severus Snape, you are the worst liar ever."

He scowled as she playfully ruffled his greasy hair. He bet she did the same thing to Regulus, who was just another one of her many friends-that-happened-to-be-boys. She was almost as bad as Molly Prewitt, who always seemed to have a new boyfriend whenever Severus saw her. The latest one was a wiry oddball who was obsessed with Muggle objects: Arthur Weasley.

Suddenly, Lily's girlish smile disappeared, and she slumped over on the snow-covered ground, mulling over her thoughts.

_Should I tell Sev what Regulus said? Or is it better if he doesn't know?_

_Idiot,_ another voice in her head responded. _If the whole school thinks it's him, then he ought to know by now. Plus, he'd tell me the truth._

"Are you alright?" he asked as he sat down in the snow next to her, his voice subtly laced with concern.

Stabbing her wand into a nearby snowdrift in frustration, Lily shook her head. "Regulus said you're the Heir of Slytherin," she said accusingly. After all, everything Regulus had told her made perfect sense; how could it _not _be Severus? In the past, he was the one who was always telling her "You'd better be in Slytherin;" what if he was secretly the Heir all this time and he was hiding the truth from her?

Severus snorted. "Me? _I'm_ the person behind the Chamber of Secrets?"

"It's not funny Sev, you know your findings have been raising suspicions."

"So that's what your little boyfriend has been feeding your brain with? Insane notions that I'm the bad person so he can look perfect to you?" Severus asked bitterly, unable to keep his jealousy out of his voice.

Lily's eyes narrowed into green slits. "This wouldn't be the first time you're lying to me. That time you let a tree branch fall on Tuney—"

"Lily _please,_ that was years ago and you know it was just a little white lie! If you want to listen to bloody stupid Regulus, then go right ahead, but if you want the truth, then you'd believe me when I say I didn't do it."

Positively fuming, Severus got to his feet and stomped away, his long black robes billowing behind him.

Lily sat and stared at her wand for a moment: in her anger, she had unknowingly melted a rather large patch of snow and the water was now leaking into her boots. She wanted to sit there and remain defiant, unwilling to go after a friend whom she was constantly at war with. But something inside her clicked, and she soon found herself on her feet, running through deep pockets of snow to catch up with her friend.

"Severus wait!"

He paused up ahead and waited as she clumsily stumbled her way over to him.

"I believe you," she said once she reached him, nearly out of breath from the effort of shoving her way through several feet of hard-packed snow.

Severus smirked, not because Lily was admitting that she was wrong, but for the fact that Lily believed _him_ over Regulus. Lily took it as a smile and tugged at his arm.

"Let's go inside, shall we?"

Severus looked over his shoulder. The sun was slowly creeping its way down the sky, and within twenty minutes, it would be gone. As a young child, he used to sit and watch the sunset every day with his mother. This daily occurrence was one of the few happy memories he had from his childhood, and even as a young teenager, he secretly relished watching as the day died and gave birth to night-time. And it was a great excuse to spend more time alone with his best friend.

"Or would you like to watch the sun set?" Lily asked softly, noticing his gaze.

Severus quickly shook his head, feeling thoroughly embarrassed by his captivation with something as silly as a setting sun.

"It's okay, I like them too," Lily said, rolling her eyes as Severus resisted her efforts to drag him over to a snowless rock to sit with her. He reluctantly sat, but deep down, he was thrilled to finally have a rare moment alone with Lily. No Regulus or Laika Malfoy around to ruin it. It was just him and Lily as the sky went from pink to purple and finally, black.

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Curse you, Reality, _Severus thought as he vigorously scrubbed a rusty school Quidditch trophy from the year 1886. He inwardly wondered if the twenty glorious minutes he had spent with Lily last weekend was worth the three hour detention with Umbridge they had garnered for arriving in the castle late.

He glanced to his left, where Lily was busy polishing one of the several Special Services to the School plaques. She didn't look too happy, either.

Ever since the ghost from the bathroom's attack— 'Moaning Myrtle' the older kids called her— the curfew had been severely restricting to all students in every house. Dumbledore or whoever was in charge of the disciplinarian-type duties seemed to think something horrible was going to happen after dark, so anyone who stayed outside past dusk was doomed to an unbearable few hours with the most despised teacher at Hogwarts.

"Why bother even having these things if they don't mention what they even did for the school?" Severus heard Lily grumble under her breath. "Helga Bonnie Carter…Adam Richmen…Tovington Fenton…Eileen Prince…Tom Riddle…"

"Wait!" Severus spun around, startling Lily slightly. "What was that?"

Lily looked down to reread the names for a moment, then gasped. "Your mum!"

Severus nearly dropped the Quidditch trophy in his rush to see his mother's name inscribed on the plaque Lily was holding. There it was: _Eileen S. Prince._

"She never told me she did 'special services' to the school," Severus muttered, wondering what in the world his mum had done to earn such an honour. He felt both excited to have learned something new about his family, and saddened that his mother felt it wasn't worth telling him what she had done. As soon as he returned home, he vowed he would ask her about it.

"She could have done anything," Lily continued once Severus had returned to polishing the Quidditch cups. A newer one, dated just thirty five years ago, had a Potter on it. No surprise really, given the amount of gloating James often did about his family's Quidditch abilities.

_Hiss…_

Lily's voice suddenly became distant, faraway. Severus' head jerked up from the gleaming cup and he looked around the room, praying he was just imagining the hissing. The last time he had heard it, he and his friends had stumbled onto a Petrified ghost's body. He didn't want to think of what he would find next time.

From his research, he knew that some Slytherin monster supposedly went around attacking Muggleborns. He didn't tell Lily this, as it only would have worried her more, but he did warn her to be on the lookout. He didn't know if the monster had killed before or if this was a part of the many wild speculations people had about the Chamber of Secrets. He hoped it was the latter.

_Hiss…_

"Sev?" Lily asked suddenly. Her voice was now clear and focused in Severus' mind, and she sounded scared.

"Did you hear that too?" he asked in a surprisingly calm voice. Perhaps it was some unknown Gryffindor bravery bubbling to the surface…

Lily nodded. She carefully put the plaques back where they belonged and pulled out her wand.

"The hissing…that's what we heard before we found Moaning Myrtle," he whispered, putting down the trophy and walking around the room with his wand held aloft.

"This room is far from that bathroom, though," Lily noted, trying to sound fearless, but her voice quavered when she spoke. Her grip tightened on her wand.

"It might be the attacker," Severus said as he moved toward the door. "Let's see if we can catch them this time—"

He began making his way over to the door, but stopped when he realized Lily wasn't following. "What?"

Lily stared at him, then shook her head and muttered something about "Bloody Gryffindors" as she followed him to the door. Just as Severus reached for the handle, the enormous door flew open and ricocheted off of the wall behind it, making Severus and Lily leap backwards in fright.

In the doorway stood Umbridge, looking— as usual— furious.

"Did I hear _talking_?" she asked thickly as she surveyed the room for signs of mischief.

"We heard something hissing Professor," Lily said quietly. She knew that Umbridge loathed Severus more than anything or anyone at Hogwarts, and, being in the same house as the woman's daughter, she would have a decent chance at convincing her that the hissing was real and not some made up story to get them out of detention.

"_Hissing_, Miss Evans?"

Without looking at Severus, Lily nodded. She had to keep him out of it or Umbridge would undoubtedly accuse Lily of deceiving her. As far as she could tell, Umbridge didn't realize they were best friends; otherwise, they surely wouldn't have been serving detention together. The last thing they needed was a reason for Umbridge to separate them.

"Where did you hear this _hissing_?" Umbridge demanded. She twisted her chubby fingers in her ears, prodding them to hear a sound, but came up with nothing but a few small chunks of earwax.

"I don't hear anything."

"I heard it moving down the hall— that way," Lily pointed out the door and to the right. Severus had no idea where she was going with this, but remained mum as Lily continued inventing new directions for Umbridge to follow, leaving them free to explore the source of the peculiar hissing on their own.

"Stay here," Umbridge ordered them after Lily finished. With a particularly nasty glare towards Severus, she waddled down the hall in the direction Lily had told her to go.

"What a dense old bat," Severus muttered after Umbridge was out of earshot. She had left the door to the trophy room wide open, and not for one second did Lily and Severus consider obeying her command to stay there.

_Hiss…_

Severus' eyes bulged. The hissing was close to them now, perhaps even closer than it had been in the girl's bathroom last week. His breaths grew short and shallow the louder it grew, as though there was a snake wrapped tightly around his neck, cutting off his flow of oxygen and hissing maddeningly into his ears.

"It's coming from that direction," Lily whispered, looking both terrified yet determinedly courageous at the same time. Much to their horror, Lily had actually been correct when she told Umbridge to go down the hall to the right of the trophy room.

Wands out, they sprinted down the hall and only stopped when their legs began to ache and feel like spoiled jelly. The hissing grew louder and louder in their ears until it was practically hammering on their eardrums. Any wizard with a reasonable amount of common sense would have turned around and fled, but curiosity and sheer determination to find the culprit urged them onward.

In a dimly-lit room at the far end of the next corridor, there was a sudden thud, followed by absolute silence. For some inexplicable reason, the hissing disappeared, leaving a rather shaken-up Lily and Severus with nothing but explosive silence.

They briefly glanced at each other. Lily's face was whiter than snow, and Severus didn't feel much better himself, but he nodded for her to follow him down to the end of the corridor. Panicked, Lily furiously shook her head, but Severus tiptoed down the carpeted hall anyway. Each footstep matched his heartbeats; would both of them come to a halt upon seeing what horror waited for him when he reached the dead end and peered into the room?

Just when he came within five feet of the entrance to the room, McGonagall came running up.

"Stay where you are!" she ordered him in her most authoritative tone. It didn't occur to him to disobey.

She pulled out her wand and peeked in the door. For two seconds, she stared numbly at the scene before her, then pulled herself away to look at Severus.

"What is it, Professor?" Severus asked, wondering if it was a dead corpse.

"It appears that Professor Umbridge has been Petrified," she replied sharply. The momentary shock was gone, and she was back in control of the situation.

Severus looked at Lily, who grinned gleefully back at him.

"There is no need to express such joy about it," McGonagall added exasperatedly. "This means the monster or whatever did this could still be on the loose."

Severus and Lily's excited grins faded at once.

McGonagall looked at her colleague's stiff and unmoving body once more, then turned back to Severus. "Snape, do you trust Miss Evans?"

Severus stared at her. "Of—of course, Professor."

McGonagall nodded approvingly. "Then take Miss Evans up to your common room at once. Do not stop and do not take any detours! Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Severus understood immediately. Gryffindor Tower was closest to them; getting Lily all the way down to the dungeons would be too risky, given the fact that the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher herself had been Petrified. If the monster was still prowling the castle, their best bet was to get to the closest hiding place as soon as possible.

As Severus and Lily sprinted up the stairway that led to the portrait of the Fat Lady, Severus couldn't help but think that the monster was somehow missing its intended targets…first a useless ghost, now a teacher…if the monster was supposed to attack Muggleborns, then why had it gone after Umbridge, who was a pureblood with several ties to the house of Slytherin?

Out of nowhere, it hit him like a rogue Bludger: _It was going for Lily tonight._

* * *

**A/N: **_Oh what will happen next? Feel free to tell me what you think, I love reviews. Thanks! :)_


	30. Troublemakers and Werewolves

**A/N: **_Sorry that took so long! Thank you for all of the wonderful comments, they were very helpful, as always. Enjoy this long chapter~_

* * *

"Magnus Gero."

"A bit late, are we?"

"Just open, will you?"

"Anything you say, dearie."

The Fat Lady's portrait swung open, revealing a familiar passageway that led into the Gryffindor common room. Lily bit her lip and glanced nervously over her shoulder as Severus offered to help her up. Contrary to what Severus probably believed, this was not her first time in Gryffindor Tower, though she hoped that she could at least pretend it was.

Taking Severus' hand, she hoisted herself up and through the portrait. It closed behind her, trapping her in here against her will. She did not want the other house members to notice her— particularly Severus' lot— but how could they not? Her robes were splashed with green and silver, and nearly everyone would recognize her as a Slytherin, even if she had cloaked herself in their colours.

Noticing her nervousness, Severus put his hand on her shoulder. "You might be able to sneak up to the boys' dormitory. Just…stay calm and nobody will notice…"

Severus trailed off as they walked into the midst of the common room; everyone immediately looked up upon their arrival. He could sense they had been waiting for him, but they had not been prepared for a Slytherin to walk in as well. He looked at Lily from the corner of his eyes; she didn't look too happy with him.

"You were saying?" she snapped angrily as she tried shielding herself from the others.

"Oy, isn't she a Slytherin?" someone called out amongst the furious whispers between the Gryffindors.

"A _Slytherin?_" a familiar voice cried indignantly from a chair next to the smouldering fire.

Severus froze as James, Sirius, and Remus turned around to gawk at them as well. They had been too distracted with their chess game to notice Severus and Lily's not-so-unnoticeable entrance, but it only took a second for them to recognize Lily as an outsider.

_Oh James, please don't, _Severus silently willed his friend to stay where he was, but unfortunately he was too dense for telepathy to work on him. Sirius followed as well, but Remus was respectful enough to remain where he was.

Grinning as he walked up to them, James pushed Severus aside to get a good look at Lily. "Hey Evans," he drawled lazily. "I dunno if someone's blasted away your memory, but in case you don't remember, this is the _Gryffindor_ common room."

"Shut up, Potter," Lily hissed crossly.

Sirius and James laughed. "Why are you here then, Evans? Did Severus decide to give his girlfriend a grand tour of the place?"

"He's not my boyfriend, you prat," Lily fumed.

James haughtily crossed his arms against his chest. "Well, just in case you're interested, I'm currently accepting applications, though I'm not sure I'd want to date a slimy Slyth—"

"Shut up James," Severus pushed him aside just before Lily could do anything to him that she might regret later.

"Umbridge was Petrified," he announced to the rest of the Gryffindors in the common room. This revelation was met by an astounding round of applause and cheering. In spite of herself, Lily had to smile; she didn't blame them for hating Umbridge.

"That's great and all, but that still doesn't explain what you're doing here, Evans," Sirius said loudly once the cheers had died down.

"Professor McGonagall, _your_ Head of House, sent me here," Lily snapped. She didn't like that Potter and Black kept trying to return everyone's attention to her. It was bad enough knowing that she didn't belong here, but their continuous stream of prying questions made it worse.

"Did she really?" one of the prefects asked as he walked up to them. Lily recognized him: Longbottom.

"Yes," Severus said firmly. "She thinks the Slytherin monster or whatever attacked Umbridge might still be out there, so she sent us to the nearest place of safety."

Longbottom nodded smartly, then motioned for Lily to wait on one of the nearby couches until someone returned for her. Severus followed her and sat next to her, praying that James and Sirius wouldn't follow.

"Hey Evans—" Severus groaned as James vaulted onto the couch next to Lily, "—correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it called the 'monster of _Slytherin_?'"

Lily's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

James sat back and shrugged indifferently. "I'm just wondering why McGonagall's worried it'll attack a member of its own house. Slytherins usually prefer attacking people from other houses, don't they?"

"I could say the same for you," Lily spat as she stood up, shaking with rage. "I heard what you did to Peter and Regulus, Potter. Isn't bullying weaker and younger students a little low, even for _you?_"

"That was fun," Sirius snorted, clearly forgetting that Lily was standing right next to him.

"Ah Evans, 'bullying' has such a negative connotation. I personally prefer the term 'engaging in fair combat against the slimy little gits known as Slytherins.'"

"_Fair?_" Lily shrieked, her hand diving into her pocket to search for her wand. Regulus had nearly collapsed in her arms when she found him after Potter's assault and she was determined to avenge her friend's suffering.

"Are you going to _hex_ me Evans?" James asked incredulously as he watched her search desperately for her wand.

"No," she said in an unnaturally calm voice as she slowly pulled her hand out of her pocket. "I lost my wand."

"Where'd you lose it?" Severus asked her, trying to ignore his friends' shouts of laughter behind them.

"I…I think I dropped it," Lily whispered, nodding to the portrait. "I have to go back for it!"

"Lily!" Severus grabbed her by the wrist just as she tried sprinting toward the portrait, her only escape from this madness. She struggled against his grip, but he was much stronger than she remembered, so she finally relented.

"Are you _trying_ to get yourself Petrified? Why do you think McGonagall sent you here in the first place?"

He couldn't believe how reckless Lily could be sometimes. The thought of the monster still roaming through the castle didn't deter her at all; she just wanted her wand back. Her desperate desire to get it back was understandable, but the way in which she planned on getting it back was a bit too Gryffindor-style for her.

"Please Sev, I need it back. What if someone steals it?" Lily begged him as she tugged on his wrist, pulling him closer to the portrait.

"Well," Severus chewed on his lip. He knew the monster was supposed to attack Muggleborns, but what if James had a point? Why would the monster want to attack members of its own house? Melika Zula was a Muggleborn in Slytherin and she was completely unharmed so far. Was he just being paranoid when he assumed it was going after Lily tonight?

"Alright fine," he said finally. "But we can't just run out there. We need a plan—"

"What about Potter's Invisibility Cloak?"

"WHAT?!" James roared.

Lily inhaled sharply, at once realizing what she had just said.

"How does she know about that? Did you tell her?" James demanded.

"I…I don't remember," Severus answered, feeling just as puzzled as James.

"_Well?_" James demanded, getting so close to Lily's face that his glasses almost touched her skin.

"Sev mentioned it…a while ago," Lily stuttered as she averted her gaze away from Potter's enraged hazel eyes to Severus' calm black ones.

Still glaring at Lily, James finally stood back. She breathed a sigh of relief as he did so; Potter needed a few breath mints.

"I'm not sharing my cloak with _her_."

"But James, it's an emergency, just this one time," Severus begged him, unable to ignore Lily's sad, pleading green eyes.

James crossed his arms defiantly and shook his head.

"What if…what if I do your Potions homework for you?"

James peeked through his eyelid curiously. "How much?"

"A week's worth," Severus replied seriously, trying to make it seem as though a week's worth of extra Potions homework would actually be challenging for him. James was _terrible_ in Potions, however, so there was no way he could possibly refuse this offer. It wasn't even going to benefit him at all, but he hoped this act of selflessness would give him an edge over Regulus on Lily's friendship meter.

"Deal," James said bitterly. He hated himself for agreeing to help a Slytherin, but he couldn't afford to decline Severus' offer to help his dismal Potions grade get up to at least an A. "But Evans can't come. You and I can get it."

"What? It's _my_ wand!"

"So? It's _my_ cloak."

"Lily, I think you should stay—"

"—oh, just because I'm not a brave and valiant Gryffindor, I can't handle it?"

"No, I didn't mean it like that—"

"—then I'm going."

"Good luck without a cloak!"

"What if the three of us go…together?"

Lily and James continued glaring at each other. Neither of them was particularly fond of the other, and the thought of them going alone without him worried Severus. He could only imagine what sort of trouble they'd get into on their own.

"It's just for a few minutes," Severus added exasperatedly, wondering how he had ended up with the two most stubborn people in the world as his best friends.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"_It's just for a few minutes,_" James mocked Severus as the trio crept down the abandoned corridors underneath the Invisibility Cloak. "How convenient for you to have forgotten where you dropped it, Evans!"

As much as Lily wanted to lash out at Potter for being such an idiot, she stayed silent for their own safety. None of them knew if this monster could still find people under Invisibility Cloaks, and in light of recent events, she'd rather not find out.

"I might have dropped it in the hallway," she whispered. "Just before McGonagall found Umbridge."

Severus was hoping she wouldn't say that. Of all the places in the castle, why did she have to drop her wand in the very corridor Umbridge had walked down before meeting her fate in the final room on the right?

_At least the monster only Petrifies people,_ Severus thought reassuringly. _There's a cure for that, at least…_

"There it is!" Lily said excitedly just as they came around the corner. It was lying in a crevice below the statue of gambling trolls. It was so well-hidden that had she not pointed it out, Severus would have missed it altogether.

Just as she started to pull herself away from the cloak, James harshly yanked her arm back and hissed, "Look!"

Lily and Severus gasped. Down at the end of the hallway, Madam Pomfrey was pushing a floating stretcher out of the room on the right; on top of it laid Umbridge, her body thoroughly solid and unmoving. Her piggish eyes were wide open in trancelike horror, as though she had seen her worst nightmare come to life.

Standing at the doorway were McGonagall and Dumbledore. The old headmaster had looked up immediately upon the trio's arrival, but other than a strange nodding gesture he might have intended for McGonagall, he gave no indications that he had seen or heard them.

James, Lily, and Severus waited anxiously in place, thinking about the punishment that awaited them if they were caught. Pressed in between the boys, Lily could feel both of them shaking. From fear or excitement, she didn't know.

"What are we going to do, Albus?" McGonagall's faint voice floated over to the trio. Against better judgement, James tugged Severus and Lily closer so that they could eavesdrop. Lily grabbed her wand and hastily stowed it in what she thought was her invisible pocket as they walked past it. They only stopped when they were a mere ten strides away from the adults.

"These are indeed troubling times," Dumbledore said softly as he ran his pale wizened hand along Umbridge's arm. "What I cannot explain is why it attacked Darcy."

McGonagall frowned. "Albus…?"

He looked away from the Petrified body and up at her. "Darcy Umbridge is the result of many ancient wizarding lines, many of which are related to the house of Slytherin. She is a pureblood. If you remember correctly, young Myrtle was—"

"—a Muggleborn," McGonagall finished for him, nodding her head slowly. "The monster is supposed to attack Muggleborns?"

Lily muffled a shriek. Dumbledore and McGonagall's heads jerked up at once, but luckily James and Severus had quieted Lily just in time. If they hadn't been invisible, they would have been discovered by now. Dumbledore continued peering straight at the cloak for some time, but it surely wasn't possible for anyone to see through Invisibility Cloaks, was it?

Even if she couldn't see it, Lily could feel James' heated glare. Right now, she didn't care. She suspected that Severus had known the truth about the monster all along, and had decided not to tell her. Any good friend would have told her about the danger she was in, not hide it from her in an effort to pretend that everything was going to be okay!

"The castle is clear," Slughorn wheezed as he slowly jogged up to McGonagall and Dumbledore. "No sign of any monster."

McGonagall's shoulders relaxed at once, and she sighed quietly. "I ought to fetch Miss Evans, then. Do you think she will make it back to her common room safely, Albus?"

"I think it would be wise to escort her."

McGonagall nodded and immediately set off for Gryffindor Tower.

"Come on!" Severus hissed urgently to his friends as they continued standing there, not exactly comprehending what was going on. If McGonagall reached the portrait before they did…well, Severus didn't want to think what sort of punishment lay in store for them if that happened.

It was hard keeping their three bodies fully concealed beneath the cloak as they ran at top speed through the castle, trying to get to their destination before their fifty year old, arthritic teacher did.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Lily nearly shouted once she was certain that there was nobody else around to hear her.

Although he couldn't see her, Severus knew she was speaking to him. He wasn't sure if he felt guilty or not by hiding the truth from her: if he had told her sooner, that would have only scared her, but at least she would have been more cautious during these little late night adventures. He still didn't know what the monster was— nobody did, really— but he still could have warned her about the Muggleborn part.

"Why didn't you tell me it was attacking Muggleborns?" Lily hissed, forgetting James was there.

"I— it's not though. You heard Dumbledore, Umbridge is pureblooded and it still got her—"

"What if it just missed the intended target?" Lily demanded furiously in between gulps of air. They were sprinting so quickly that her lungs burned from the effort, but she was determined to crush the truth out of her friend before they were no longer able to speak.

"Shut up, Evans," James grumbled to her right. They were almost to the portrait, just one more corner to go. "You're going to give us away again…and since when do you care about Muggleborns, anyway? I thought Slytherins only cared about the 'high and mighty' purebloods…"

Severus and Lily were silent for several seconds, wondering how they could possibly explain this to James. Just as Severus opened his mouth to speak, he tripped on the bottom edge of the cloak, sending their three suddenly-visible bodies flying to the ground. Lily and James' skulls connected as they tumbled to the ground, creating a rather painful-sounding _crack_ before their bodies finally met the earth and silence enveloped them once more.

"Boys!"

With shouts of surprise, Severus and James leaped to their feet at the sound of McGonagall's voice coming toward them, but Lily remained on the ground, moaning in pain.

"Potter…you've got…the thickest skull…I've ever…seen," she said deliriously as Severus quickly helped her to her feet.

McGonagall glared suspiciously at the boys. "What is going on here?"

"We were just—"

"Don't bother Potter, it's quite obvious what you've done."

James cringed. Oh, they were in for it now…

"Get inside," McGonagall said sternly to the boys, pointing at the portrait. "I will escort Miss Evans back to her dormitory and deal with you two later."

The boys immediately did as they were told, leaving Lily alone with McGonagall. She peered up at her Transfiguration teacher nervously, awaiting the verdict.

Astonishingly, McGonagall merely sighed. "Miss Evans, don't you believe that I was only looking out for your safety when I asked Snape to take you into the Gryffindor common room?"

Biting her lip, Lily nodded glumly. She and Severus had betrayed McGonagall's trust, and while retrieving her wand was a rather good excuse to disobey, they had been stupid for sneaking out when they knew there was a monster on the loose. She supposed Potter's love for adventure and Severus' inability to say no to her were the only reasons they had agreed to go. If something had happened to them, it would have been all her fault.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"You must be one of the only outsiders to have ever been in Gryffindor Tower!"

"Yeah…perhaps," Lily mumbled as she darted a don't-you-dare-say-anything look at Regulus, who winked at her.

McGonagall had returned her to her own common room half an hour ago, and as soon as she was gone, everyone had bombarded Lily with questions.

"Is it true? About the monster?"

"Is Snape really the heir of Slytherin?"

"Is it true Umbridge is dead?"

"What was the Gryffindor common room like?"

"Which portrait did you go through?"

"Do they really have their own hot springs in their common room?"

After a while, Lily managed to tell her own version of what happened, and much to the Slytherins' disappointment, Gryffindor Tower was not nearly as exciting as they had believed it to be.

"I also overheard them talking—Dumbledore and McGonagall," Lily said slowly, hoping she wouldn't give herself away with this. Regulus was the best at reading her facial expressions; she could only hope that she would fool him this time. "— they said that…the monster attacks Muggleborns…but…it seems as though it keeps missing its target."

Lily didn't know why she was telling them this. So she could appear as though she was just as biased as the rest of them? Or was it something else? She briefly looked up at Regulus, who was observing her carefully, but making no indication as to whether he detected her nervousness or not. Laika and Narcissa didn't look too impressed; they probably already knew a little about Slytherin's monster from their older siblings. However, they didn't look suspicious either, which was all that Lily could hope for.

Only one other person was frightened by this piece of information besides Lily: sitting in the corner, shaking uncontrollably, was Melika. It seemed that her mind was permanently damaged by the attack a few months ago, but apparently she could still comprehend small parts of conversations. Lily wondered if she knew how much danger she was in.

"Hey Melika," Laika softly called out to the deranged girl. "I heard they're looking for volunteers to feed Salazar's pet…they're only accepting Mudbloods at the moment, so you'd be perfect!"

The entire group laughed. Lily had a sudden urge to scream at them to stop, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. If she told everyone the truth, then it would be _her_, not just Melika, sitting there, forced to take whatever verbal assaults flew her way.

_You're so weak,_ Lily told herself silently. _You're just scared it'll be you sitting there, flinching at the invisible demons._

"Lily? Are you alright?"

Of all people to focus on Lily instead of Melika's public humiliation, it just _had_ to be Regulus.

Forcing her quavering lips to curl into a thin, strained smile, Lily nodded. "I'm…fine."

**xXxXxXxXx**

"The library is closing in five minutes."

Severus jerked awake at the sound a woman's shrill voice to his left; he hadn't realized he had fallen asleep. Groaning tiredly, he flipped through a few more pages of the book in front of him, finding nothing but theories and wild speculations about Salazar Slytherin's so-called 'monster.' He figured nobody but Salazar himself had ever seen the thing, though perhaps it was just a carefully crafted myth that began during the Founder's time and lasted through the centuries due to the frightening, yet exciting possibility that a horrible creature lived deep within the castle. Still, there had to be an explanation for these attacks. Determined to protect Lily— and himself, seeing as the culprit was going after people from every background— Severus had been researching nonstop for the last several hours, to the brink of exhaustion.

Furious with his lack of results, he aggressively whipped through a few more pages, clinging onto one last speck of hope that he might find what he had been looking for all along. He reached the final page, and still, nothing.

Just before he could slam the book shut, however, one of the pages caught his eye: _Werewolves._

Intrigued, he relaxed his grip on the book's cover and hurriedly read down the page. Two minutes until the library closed…

"_The __werewolf__ is a creature that exists only for a brief period around the full moon. At any other time, a werewolf is a normal human. However, the term werewolf is used for both the wolf-like creature and the normal human. A person becomes a werewolf, when bitten by a werewolf in wolf-form…"_

Severus chewed on his lip nervously. Remus never told him how he had received the bite, but he did know that his friend had gotten it before coming to Hogwarts. He didn't want to imagine what it must have been like, to be so young and receive such a terrible curse, one which would haunt him for the rest of his life…

"…_once this happens, the person must learn to manage the condition. Nothing discovered in the wizarding world can completely cure a werewolf. Most werewolves live outside of normal society and steal food to survive…"_

Severus cringed at the idea of society banishing his friend for a condition that wasn't even his fault. Would that happen to Remus when he leaves Hogwarts? Severus knew he couldn't possibly allow him to live like that, he would find a way to help Remus…someday…

"…_the werewolf's bite is harmful only for humans, and the aftereffects are only prevalent when the bite occurs during full moon. The bite from a werewolf has no effect on magical creatures and other non-magical animals…"_

Severus stared at the text below him. New thoughts were assembling in his head by the hundreds, trying to digest what he had just read. Any other person would have simply skimmed through the rest of the page and put the book away. However, Severus caught what no one else would: _werewolves have no effect on magical creatures and other non-magical animals. _

So there _was_ a safe way to be around a werewolf during full moon. The only problem was that Severus was born a human, not an animal. Perhaps he ought to get Remus a pet.

Thinking of the potential consequences, Severus shook the idea away at once. He'd offer to give Hairy to Remus, but what if, instead of biting the cat— which would bring no harm to the hairy git, according to this book— the werewolf just swallowed it whole? Severus shuddered. As much as the cat annoyed him, he didn't want it to become werewolf-food…not yet, anyway.

_What if…no, that would never work,_ Severus laughed at the absurdness of the idea. As advanced as magic was these days, it surely wasn't possibly for humans to…

_Of course not. Stop trying to change reality, _Severus told himself firmly. Humans couldn't possibly become animals, could they? It was such a foolish hope that he felt embarrassed to have even brought it up.

Then again, there were plenty of things that merely _seemed_ impossible, but could actually happen. From a Muggleborn's point of view, surely flying broomsticks seemed nothing more than a childhood Halloween fantasy? And Malfoy becoming a Death Eater before he even reached seventeen…who could have seen that coming? The biggest surprise of all was James Potter and he, Severus Snape, becoming…_friends._ After the miserable train ride just before their first year, Severus thought he'd rather be struck by the _Avada Kedavra_ than be Sorted into the same house as Hogwarts' royal gits, Sirius and James. Now they were actually friends. Close friends.

_I'll ask McGonagall about it tomorrow,_ Severus thought with renewed hope, feeling a little less idiotic about the animal idea as he closed his book and ran out of the darkened library before Madam Pince could catch him in here afterhours.

* * *

**A/N: **_I'm not sure who thought of the Animagus idea first (in canon), but I thought it would be appropriate if Severus comes up with the idea first in this story. I know some people were hoping Severus would help Remus in a different way, but trust me when I say the boys becoming Animagi will be far more interesting than Severus merely inventing an advanced potion for him. _

_Anyway, the next chapter will be up within a week, probably after I post chapter one to my new story, "The Guardians Next Door" (it's a Snape-rescues-Harry-from-the-Dursleys story, but with a slightly different twist than most of those types of fanfics). _

_Reviews are greatly appreciated, as always :)_


	31. Umbridge's Tragedy

**A/N: **_I'd like to thank everyone for your nice reviews on the last chapter. This chapter is another one of my favorites in this story (you'll see why). Enjoy~_

* * *

"Enter."

Severus, who had only knocked once, was surprised to hear McGonagall in her office so early in the morning. He had woken up two hours earlier than usual**; **he couldn't sleep with such wild ideas flying around in his head all night. He needed to know he wasn't just going mad.

"I didn't realize you were such an early riser, Snape. Is everything alright?"

Severus knew she was referring to his uncanny ability to show up whenever there was a disturbance in the school.

"Yes professor. I just…had a question…I think it might pertain to Transfiguration, but—"

"Go on," McGonagall cut him off, clearly not in the mood for Severus**'** rambling.

Severus stared at her. He had been practicing a speech for hours, trying to make it sound as though he was merely curious about the idea. He knew better than to dive into these tricky questions without carefully approaching the subject first, lest there be unforeseen consequences or complications of which he was not aware.

"Well…I know this might sound a bit odd, but I was wondering if it was possible to well…" Severus hated her stern gaze**; **it made it hard for him to keep his thoughts on track with what he was saying. "Is it possible for humans to become…animals?"

He cringed, waiting for the ridiculing to begin, but for some reason, it didn't come. Severus looked up at McGonagall, who was continuing to scrutinize him, though her expression had softened slightly.

"Are you referring to Animagi, Snape?"

"Yeah, I suppose," he said automatically. He remembered hearing the term before, but he didn't know what it meant.

Astoundingly, McGonagall smiled at him. "I normally don't teach students about Animagi until third year, but I have yet to come across a more inquisitive mind than yours, Snape."

Severus knew this was a huge compliment, coming from her. He had a feeling he was in for a long history lesson now, but he didn't have time for that. He needed the practical information, such as how to go about this Animagi business without making the changes permanent.

"However," she continued, looking more suspicious now, "—why are you suddenly interested in Animagi? I hear that you excel in Potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts but I've never felt as though Transfiguration was a particularly strong subject for you."

_Well, to tell you the truth, professor, I need to give my friend some company during his monthly cycles…he's a werewolf, see, and I feel sorry for him and wouldn't mind being around him as long as he won't maul me to death. _

Obviously, Severus kept his thoughts to himself. McGonagall might already know about Remus' 'condition,' but Severus knew she would never tell him about Animagi if he told her what he planned to do with the information she provided him.

"I was just…curious, professor," he lied easily.

Although she still looked skeptical, McGonagall finally relented and explained to him the rudimentary facts about Animagi. His mind soaked in every word, and immediately went to work, devising a plan that would allow him to become what his professor was describing.

"It is a very dangerous and tricky procedure, however," she warned him. "Some wizards have accidentally made the changes permanent, and others have been sent to St. Mungo's for misusing their abilities. If you are not registered with the Ministry, then you are sent to Azkaban for a maximum sentence of two years. And I would not advise one to become an Animagus unless they are brilliant in Transfiguration," she eyed him closely, as though she were silently telling him he did not fit the description.

Severus remained respectfully silent as she continued describing the sometimes horrific process and the possible consequences of attempting the transformation. Most of the mistakes, he noted, had been made by deranged criminals trying to escape a life sentence in Azkaban in the quickest, easiest way possible. Since there was no immediate hurry, Severus would be less likely to slip-up. He knew it would require much research, but since he wasn't going mad, and this was indeed possible, he was willing to at least give it a try. He wasn't stupid, after all; the chances of him— the methodical researcher and obsessive planner— making a mistake were slim. He would never try something as life-altering as this without carefully preparing himself first. Of course he would get registered and investigate all of the hazards beforehand.

Once Severus felt he was well-educated on the subject, he would tell Remus and go from there. If Sirius or James ever found out, he would tell them he was merely interested in broadening his knowledge of Transfiguration. They were dense enough to believe that, given how studious he was.

"Thank you for your time, professor," Severus said solemnly as he exited her office, hoping that he had hidden his excitement well enough. With all thoughts of the Slytherin monster banished from his mind, he made his way to the library and spent the next six hours in the Transfiguration section. The idea had now become an obsession.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Don't get me wrong, Sev, I admire your effort, but I don't think it's a very good idea."

"Why not? I know all the risks involved, and this is one way—"

"_No_. I don't want you to get hurt…especially…by _me_," Remus whispered.

Severus sighed, his shoulders sagging dejectedly. It had been nearly a month since he had discovered the existence of Animagi through McGonagall, and since then, he had spent all of his free time in the library. He probably knew as much as McGonagall by now, though the process itself remained a complicated mystery.

There hadn't been another attack by the monster since the Umbridge incident, leaving Severus free from his worries about Lily's safety. He had been so engrossed in his Animagus studies that he hadn't seen her outside of their classes all month. She was probably spending a lot more time with Regulus as a result, but Severus could fix that later.

Although Remus didn't agree this was the right way to go about it, he needed Severus' help more than Lily did at the moment. In addition to his research, he had learned everything he could about werewolves, to the point where he probably knew more than Remus did. While werewolves could indeed attack animals, their bite wouldn't permanently alter them as it would a human. To Severus, the plan was brilliant, and all of this hard work was paying off, as his grades had gone from A to O in Transfiguration in the last three weeks alone. He could only hope that McGonagall wouldn't catch on to what he was trying to do behind her back.

Tonight would be full moon, so Severus and Remus were currently heading up to the hospital wing, where they could talk in private until Pomfrey escorted Remus away. James and Sirius had grown steadily more suspicious of them lately, so they only spoke of Remus' "furry little problem" when those two weren't around. Severus knew Remus was terrified they would find out and make a big joke of it, telling everyone they knew that Remus Lupin was a werewolf. They did have a slight problem with keeping their big mouths shut, after all, and Remus wasn't sure if they'd still want to be his friend if they knew. Severus understood this fear, though he had already acknowledged the fact that James and Sirius weren't as stupid as they looked: they would probably find out someday, no matter how diligent Remus was about hiding it.

"Hello boys," Madam Pomfrey greeted them in a strained voice as they entered the room. There was a girl crying somewhere beyond Pomfrey's office**; **she sounded strangely familiar to Severus…

It was Lily. Standing beside a bed with an unmoving girl's body was Laika Malfoy, Regulus, Lily, and Bellatrix Black.

Severus and Remus shot nervous glances at each other as they crept forward into the ward, wondering what had happened. As they got closer and saw the body on the bed, Severus felt his insides turn cold: Narcissa Black had been Petrified.

All thoughts of werewolves and Animagi fled from his mind, and Severus collapsed onto a nearby chair, knowing at once what this meant: the monster wasn't dormant after all. Only Bellatrix noticed the boys intruding in on the little Slytherin group**;** she merely scowled at them as though it were their fault her sister had been attacked.

For someone who relied solely on logical reasoning for life's conundrums, this latest assault was extremely frustrating for Severus. Why was the monster going after purebloods with family lineages that could probably be traced back to Salazar Slytherin himself? Dumbledore said it supposedly targeted Muggleborns, but then why was a member of one of the oldest and noblest wizarding houses laying in front of them, Petrified? Was it possible that this wasn't really the work of a monster at all, but rather a student who had been angry with the victims?

Severus never really saw Narcissa Black as an evil git, not like Regulus or Bellatrix, anyway. She was actually a rather quiet girl, who obviously cared about her friends and family. Why would someone want to hurt her?

Finally, the rest of the group noticed the two Gryffindor boys. Regulus and Laika glared hatefully at them for intruding, but Lily looked immensely relieved to see them there. Regulus tried to stop her from getting up, but she shoved his arm away from hers and ran over to Severus and Remus.

"What happened?" Severus whispered. Her eyes were glistening with tears, and her cheeks were red and puffy. He hadn't seen her so upset since she and stupid little Regulus had found Melika in the old potions dungeons a few months ago.

"Narcissa and I were talking…to Professor Slughorn last night and when we were walking back—" Lily's voice became shallow and hushed as fresh tears sprang to her eyes, "—I heard it. The hissing. I thought it was nothing, but then she heard it too. We split up to look for it…and when I found her…she was like this," Lily swiped at a tear and motioned to Narcissa's solidly motionless form. "I've been here since last night. I…I don't think it meant to get _her_…"

Lily burst into tears. Feeling sorry for his friend, Severus awkwardly pulled her into a hug and let her cry all over his robes. Even though he didn't exactly approve of her choice in friends in Slytherin, he thought Narcissa was the lesser of two evils. At least she hadn't betrayed Lily…yet. Lily knew the attacker was going for her, and unfortunately for Narcissa, it had missed its target again. Remus shot him a questioning glance, but Severus shook his head. _Don't ask._

Once they released, Lily slowly and sadly made her way back to Narcissa's bedside. Severus growled when Regulus patted her hand reassuringly**; **comforting Lily was not a job he wanted to share with the little git.

"Ah, hello there, Snape!" a booming voice suddenly echoed throughout the infirmary.

Severus cringed as Professor Slughorn came up to them and patted— whacked— him on the back. He managed to give the man a small, tense smile as he nodded hello. While he was definitely one of Slughorn's best students, Severus didn't like the man very much, especially when he ignored students— like his friends— that weren't up to par with the Slug Club standards.

"What are you doing up here, Snape?" Slughorn asked him loudly. Severus kept his eyes away from Narcissa's bed, where he knew the Slytherins were glaring at him for creating such a disturbance. Slughorn wasn't addressing Remus at all**; **he probably forgot his name.

"I'm feeling ill," Severus replied casually, hoping to keep the Slytherins' attention away from Remus. "Why are you up here, professor?"

Slughorn grinned as he pulled out three large vials of greyish-blue potion. "Mandrake Draught," he said proudly. "Just finished brewing. These ought to revive our poor Petrified friends!"

Slughorn nodded curtly, then continued walking over to Pomfrey's office.

Severus' heart sank. While he was glad that Narcissa would be cured shortly, Slughorn's revelation wasn't going to be all good news: Darcy Umbridge would be returning to her teaching post. Since he was the last person she saw before she was Petrified, he knew there would be hell to pay once she was back to normal…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Do you know the answer, Miss Evans?"

"Is it…William H. Petitt?"

"No dear, that is incorrect. Miss Macdonald?"

"Wallard B. Barker?"

Professor Umbridge smiled cruelly. "I'm sorry, that is incorrect. Since you have obviously failed to complete the assigned reading in my absence, I have no choice but to give you a detention."

_But Lily got the answer wrong too,_ Severus wanted to say, but remained quiet to avoid detention. It was Umbridge's third day back, and her revival had not changed her for the better. Instead, she was a raging monster, especially against Severus and the other Gryffindors. He had already lost over fifty points for Gryffindor for failing to raise his hand, James had gotten thirty taken away for throwing a crumpled piece of parchment at Pettigrew, Sirius had lost twenty for mocking Narcissa, who was also back in class, and Remus had lost fifteen points for sneezing. Overall, it wasn't a very happy day for Gryffindor.

Severus yawned, exhausted from last night's detention. Unfortunately, Umbridge caught him and took away another ten points for his 'laziness' and 'lack of focus.' He didn't care about the points anymore, as long as he didn't get another detention. Umbridge, due to her 'frail health,' had allowed her equally nasty daughter to oversee the detentions, which meant nothing but pain and suffering for Severus. Dolores still hadn't recovered from her humiliation at their duel, and spent every second of his detention tormenting him.

Last night, she had hexed him when nobody was around, then ran to her mum and told her it was a Hufflepuff fifth year that had done it. The boy got a week's worth of detentions as a result. Dolores was also careful to save the worst jobs for him, ones that weren't even fit for house elves, such as hand-scrubbing toilets in the prefects' bathrooms, which were far dirtier than he had initially believed. Just before he finished up last night, she happily waltzed in and dumped a cauldronful of revolting spew, telling him it was Slughorn's idea to dump the century-old failed potions in there. That took him another three hours to finish cleaning. As he was walking back to his dormitory, Dolores walked up and took away fifty points from him for being out of bed after curfew. When he yelled at her that it was her fault he had to stay so late for detention, she merely smiled toadishly and took away another ten points for his lack of respect for the Head Girl.

Finally, after what seemed like ten years, class ended. Severus threw his books and quill into his bag and tried to escape as quickly as he could, but he came to a grinding halt upon hearing Umbridge say: "I'll see you in detention tonight, Snape."

"What?" he asked after he reluctantly told his friends to go on without him. Perhaps he hadn't heard her correctly…

Umbridge smiled lazily. "Don't forget to meet Dolores in the Transfiguration classroom tonight for your detention."

"What for?" he asked irritably, wishing he could hex that nasty sneer right off of her flabby little face. He honestly didn't know who was worse: the mother or the daughter.

"Are you questioning my authority?" Umbridge asked innocently. Her pudgy fingers twiddled with her wand, waiting for Severus to crack.

"Of course not, professor," he replied sarcastically. Then, unable to control himself, he added: "You are greater than Dumbledore himself, and I confess that you are an astounding authority figure, as I have never seen someone torture children as well as you."

That did it: Severus had pushed his luck to the limit, and judging by the murderous expression on Umbridge's face, he was in for it now. He didn't think it was possible for human skin to turn that shade of red, and frankly, he was rather amused by it. He was sick and tired of the Umbridge ladies abusing him, so he finally fought back. The consequences would be severe, but surely she couldn't expel him for a little verbal insult?

"Tonight. At nine," she heaved furiously. Her grip on her wand was so tight that her veins looked as though they'd burst, and her hands were shaking with rage.

Severus turned and ran. He thought of ditching detention tonight, but immediately banished the thought from his mind. He was going to face an Umbridge tonight— Darcy or Dolores, neither would be pleasant— and he was determined to come out alive.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Keep scrubbing, Snape."

_It would be easier if you went away,_ Severus tried to say, but it only came out as: "At wool beez err eef yuvent avay."

Shortly after he had arrived, Dolores had hexed his tongue until it was so swollen he could barely breath through his mouth. Clearly her mother had told her what Severus had said earlier, and when his back was turned, she performed the nonverbal jinx on him. He couldn't ask her if she did it, because whenever he tried to say something, it came out as pure gibberish. Dolores would then feign cluelessness and smile maliciously as he panicked over his rapidly increasing tongue.

It was now ten o'clock. He and Mary Macdonald had been in detention for an hour so far, and while Mary was outraged to see Dolores bullying Severus, she wisely kept her mouth shut.

As expected, Mary had gotten the easier job of scrubbing floors. Severus, on the other hand, was forced to clean up the brownish sludge that was seeping through the walls. On the other side of this wall was a bathroom. He could only hope that this stuff was just mould.

As he continued scouring, Severus kept his attention solely on the wall. If he lost his focus, he knew he'd turn around and strangle Dolores with every ounce of energy he had left in him. The girl was worse than her mother. Tonight, he learned where Umbridge had gotten those quills that made his hands bleed profusely and eventually scar over: Dolores had bought them for her as a Christmas gift. Severus and Sirius had been the first victims of those quills, though Sirius' hand didn't have the lines permanently etched into his skin.

Severus held his left hand up to the faint yellow light. _I must not use illegal magic. _

He had gotten that shortly after he defeated Dolores in their duel. Umbridge had been so upset over her daughter's embarrassing loss that she had concluded that Severus had used an illegal spell against her in order to claim victory. Severus didn't know when 'Protego' had become a prohibited defensive spell, but after this rather painful punishment, he reluctantly kept this bit of information to himself.

"Get up," Dolores suddenly ordered one of them. Severus turned around but apparently, she was speaking to Mary.

He and Mary briefly made eye contact**;** she looked weary and exhausted. Although she had gotten the easier task, Severus felt a pang of pity for her. Dolores was no kinder to her than she was to him, but at least he was used to being abused by the Umbridges.

"_Get_ _up_ I said," Dolores angrily grabbed Mary by the arm and jerked her off the ground. Mary shrieked in pain as something in her arm cracked, but Dolores ignored her. She greatly resembled a Muggle school bully Severus had once encountered**;** he too, had pulled him off of his feet and suspended him in the air, just for laughs.

"Let her go!" Severus yelled as Mary continued crying out. Her arm was already bruising and swelling, and if Dolores didn't release soon, she would either break it or cut off the flow of blood entirely.

Smirking triumphantly, Dolores let Mary fall to the ground. Knowing what consequences awaited her if she didn't get up, Mary managed to pull herself to her feet with a little help from Severus.

"Right this way," Dolores said coldly, leading Mary down the corridor away from Severus. Mary had finished the floors**;** now she was on to her next horrible chore.

"I'll deal with you in a minute," Dolores added to Severus. He didn't like that malicious glint in her eyes. One voice in his head urgently screamed at him to run, but then another voice calmly reminded him he would be in trouble either way. Running would only worsen his punishment.

He continued his ferocious scrubbing for a while, then threw the rag aside once Dolores and Mary had disappeared. He slumped to the ground in exhaustion, wondering what he had done to make Umbridge hate him so much. From day one, she had hated him, and while he understood students bullying other students, he was perplexed when it came to _teachers_ bullying students. If she hated children so much, then why was she a teacher? McGonagall may be strict, but at least she treated her students with dignity and respect…

_Hiss…_

Severus froze. Was it just his imagination, or had the noise come from inside the very wall he was currently cleaning? The thought of the monster coming for _him_ made him break into a cold sweat. Here he was, wandless and alone. If the monster wanted him cornered, then it couldn't have had a more perfect opportunity than right now. One by one, his feet slowly stepped back, wanting to get the rest of his body as far away from that wall as he could. He blinked several times, trying to convince himself this was just a nightmare, but the scene never changed. The hissing was now ringing in his ears to the point where he couldn't hear his own thoughts**;** it was worse than the night he, James, and Sirius had heard the noise in the girl's bathroom.

_The girl's bathroom…_

Severus actually yelled out in terror: Dolores had taken Mary to polish the sinks in the very bathroom he and his friends had nearly been killed in a couple months ago. What if the monster was in there with them?

His whole body was shaking so badly that he couldn't keep his balance. He collapsed onto the ground and continued to shiver violently as though he was having a seizure. Some sort of surreal intuitive feeling told him this hissing meant something…something bad. Whatever was making the sound was furious.

Just when he thought his fear had reached its peak, he heard a girl's scream. He unconsciously screamed as well, though some unknown Gryffindor recklessness deep within him immediately propelled him off of the ground and toward the bathroom. It sounded like Mary's voice, and even though he was tremendously frightened as well, it was his duty to ensure his fellow Gryffindor was alright.

His hand shook as he went to open the door**;** he acknowledged the fact that he might run into the monster beyond this door, but at least he would only be Petrified, right?

The bathroom was as dark and flooded as it had been when Severus and his friends had gone in there. The moon was concealed by clouds tonight, so the only light he had was from the faint torches in the hallway behind him.

His head was throbbing painfully and he could feel the bitter taste of vomit coming up his throat, but he forced it down, at least temporarily.

"Ma—Mary?" he whispered. A light layer of mist obscured the bathroom's interior for the most part, forcing Severus to step inside for a closer look.

_Please let Mary be okay…please let her be okay…please…_

A tiny voice reminded him that Mary was a Muggleborn, a probable target for the attack, but he was so focused on finding out why one of the girls had screamed that he easily suffocated this horrifying piece of information.

"Mary?" Severus crept closer to a dark figure on the ground. As he got within three feet of it, he inhaled sharply, recognizing all of the signs of a Petrified individual. Mary's long brown hair was strangely stiff, despite the water flowing all around her, and her entire body was rigid, like a human rock.

Severus gently pulled her over onto her back, jumping slightly when he saw the look of horror on her face. Judging by her position on the ground, it appeared as though she had been looking into a mirror just before she saw the enemy and ended up like this. Perhaps Dolores had attacked her?

Severus got to his feet and searched around the room for a sign of the evil girl. He was tremendously relieved when he realized the hissing had finally stopped**;** he hoped the monster or whoever had done this wouldn't strike again.

"Ah!"

Severus tripped over something soft and squishy. He landed hard on his back, but the sound was muffled due to the water on the ground. Feeling a little disoriented, he groped around for the thing he had tripped over. His trembling hands landed on something that felt chillingly like human flesh. It was cold, but soft and flexible. He grabbed the person's hand**;** it was chubby and strangely moveable. Definitely not the signs of someone who had been Petrified…

Severus pulled the body onto its side, then onto its back. As he gazed down at the face, his breathing became shallow and his headache returned at once. Something wasn't right: Dolores' body was not thoroughly solid as Narcissa or Mary's was, and one eyelid opened lazily as he turned her body over. People who had been Petrified weren't supposed to be able to move anything.

Another scream tried to escape him, but Severus remained oddly silent as he carefully felt her wrists for a pulse. There was none. He reached up to her neck and waited for a sign that there was something still alive in the body in front of him. Still no pulse.

Severus looked away from the body and threw up. The acidic taste in his mouth made his eyes water and throat burn. He fell onto back and stared sideways at the body, unable to scream, unable to get to his feet and run away. His mind had stopped functioning properly and refused to tell him what he needed to do to get to safety. He simply lay there, numbed by the truth.

Dolores Umbridge was not Petrified or unconscious. She was dead.

And Severus was the one who found her.

* * *

**A/N: **_I've been wanting to do that since OotP. Obviously the culprit is a little clumsy this time around, Petrifying and killing purebloods instead of Mudbloods. For anyone confused as to why this is happening: everytime a pureblood has been Petrified, a Muggleborn has been around. They're just getting lucky...for now. _

_As always, I appreciate all comments :)_


	32. Blaming the Innocent

**A/N: **_Thank you for all of your fantastic reviews. Enjoy~_

* * *

"What's going on— oh my goodness!"

Severus couldn't bring himself to sit up. He hadn't realized he had been screaming, but he was glad that someone had finally found him. McGonagall would get him out of this nightmare. If it had been a certain Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher who had found him first…he might as well prepare for the same fate Dolores had received.

"Severus?" McGonagall asked. She was completely shocked to see him there, and it wasn't like her to call her students by their first name. He was in trouble.

Tears of horror still trickled down his pale cheeks as he slowly pulled his thoroughly-numbed body up and faced her. Contrary to the outraged expression he was expecting, McGonagall's face was full of concern. She rushed forward and gently pulled him to his feet, trying to keep him from getting any wetter, as he was already shivering violently, both from the chilly water and the monstrous fear growing within him.

"What— how— are you alright, Snape?" she asked in a hollow voice. Her eyes remained on Dolores' limp form. Having been a teacher here at Hogwarts for eighteen years so far, she was accustomed to seeing varying degrees of injuries and illnesses among the students. When keeping hundreds of young witches and wizards in a confined area with relatively little supervision, one expected accidents, but a death?

Severus nodded and buried his face into her robes, willing himself not to cry. He was supposed to be a brave and fearless Gryffindor, but seeing a person just seconds after they had been murdered…that kind of situation required more than just bravery. He bit his lip so hard that it began to bleed, but he ignored it. The more he tried forgetting that horrible image of Dolores Umbridge's empty, lifeless eyes, the clearer the memory became in his mind.

McGonagall knew she needed to get to Dumbledore right away, but first she wanted to ensure the safety and mental wellbeing of her student. It wasn't like Snape to fall apart like this, not that she blamed him, as this was a terrifying discovery. Especially for a young boy who had barely reached age thirteen. There were so many questions she had for him, but those would have to wait, as he was presently in no condition to undergo a rigorous investigation. Instead, she patted his shoulder comfortingly when he pressed up against her waist, and forced herself to remain emotionless for as long as he was around. At that moment, she did not feel like a professor, but rather a mother comforting a small child who had just experienced a rather gruesome nightmare. Except this wasn't a nightmare at all; this was real. She would not tell him everything would be okay, because that would be a lie. Darcy Umbridge often went to extreme measures to get what she wanted, both at Hogwarts and in her position in the Ministry. She would not take her daughter's death lightly, McGonagall knew that for certain.

Just when she was beginning to think the situation couldn't get any bleaker, it did: Darcy Umbridge herself showed up in the doorway.

"Minerva, what on earth is going on in here?"

Severus broke away from the Transfiguration professor at once and jumped backward at the sound of his most-hated professor's voice floating into the room.

_Three…two…one…_

She didn't make any noise when she finally saw her daughter's corpse, laying in a bizarre, distorted position in the murky water that flowed all around their ankles. Her grin remained unchanged, though her eyes bulged as they took in the sight before her. Once her mind seemed to have registered what she was seeing, she numbly walked forward and collapsed onto her knees in front of Dolores' body.

Severus' heart began racing again as he saw the woman's eyes blur over with tears; her only child, her beloved Dolores Jane couldn't possibly be dead. No, this was just a really bad joke…Dolores was merely sleeping…resting her eyes…

"Dolores…wake up. Wake up, darling. I know you're feeling drowsy, but please, just wake up…"

She kept talking to her daughter and excitedly patting her cold hand, feverishly urging her to suddenly come back to life. Her urgent words became nonsensical and frantic, as though she truly didn't understand why Dolores wasn't coming to her senses. After several minutes of tense silence, she began whimpering quietly in between mutters of "wake up, wake up darling." Her mind was slowly beginning to grasp the meaning of the girl's lack of response.

Pitying her colleague's helplessness, McGonagall moved forward to pull Darcy off of the ground. Severus, who hadn't realized he had been holding on to his professor's arm in fear of what Umbridge could do to him, released, however reluctantly.

"She's dead, Darcy," McGonagall said as she put all of her strength into lifting the large woman to her feet.

"SHE'S NOT DEAD! SHE'S PETRIFIED!" Darcy wailed, thrashing around violently and nearly punching McGonagall in the face before she released her, unable to help the utterly distraught woman.

"She's not…she's not dead…_she's not dead_," her sobs echoed throughout the bathroom.

Severus felt as though the life had been sucked out of him. As much as he _hated_ the Umbridges, Dolores' dead body was one of the most horrific sights he had ever seen in his entire life. He desperately wanted to fall to the ground and blissfully slip off into the land of unconsciousness, but he firmly remained where he was, determined to show McGonagall that he was not weak.

"Who found her?" Darcy asked after she had no tears left to shed. Her voice was unnaturally clear for someone who had just lost her daughter; eerie and alarmingly _calm_. Her head was bent low over Dolores' body so that neither Severus nor McGonagall could see her face.

"Who found her?" she repeated more forcefully this time. Severus wondered why she wasn't asking _how_ this had happened.

Perhaps she knew there was no answer to that.

Perhaps she didn't _want_ to know the answer, even if there was one.

She only wanted to know _who_ had found Dolores.

Knowing this was a rather foolish thing to do, but not wanting McGonagall to take the blame for him, Severus quietly whispered, "I did."

Although he and James and Sirius had been wishing for the Umbridges' deaths all year, he never once thought his wish would actually come true. As Severus surveyed the scene in front of him, he realized now that he wished he had kept his mouth shut.

Darcy got to her feet and turned around. She looked like she had aged twenty years, and she wore a strange, manic expression. Severus immediately recognized that look, and it chilled him to his core. It was the same look his father always had when he was really, _really_ angry. However, he was usually driven by alcohol, and not once did Severus recall seeing him so infuriated that his eyes turned scarlet, as Darcy's eyes were…

With a shriek of rage that would undoubtedly awake the entire castle, Darcy pulled out her wand and readied herself for battle. Driven by hysteria, she lunged at Severus, ready to attack him…ready to make him pay for what would become a lifetime of grief for her at the loss of her only child. She had already lost her husband, but unlike him, Dolores meant the world to her. She loved that girl more than any other mother could love their child, and she wanted revenge. Further mourning could come later, but right now…the boy was right in front of her…wandless…she may never get this golden opportunity again…

"DARCY!" McGonagall roared as she pulled out her wand faster than an international duelling champion could have managed. She blocked the path that led to Severus and forcefully jabbed her wand into Darcy's thick neck, _daring_ the woman to harm a student in front of her.

Darcy remained still. McGonagall glared at her icily, feeling a surge of satisfaction at her colleague's panicked expression. She hadn't failed to intimidate her.

Severus wasn't stupid: if McGonagall hadn't reacted so quickly, he might have been in much worse shape than he was right now. Umbridge was fully capable of using any of the three Unforgiveable Curses, and she had been preparing to use one of them one him.

"Minerva!"

Severus, who was barely conscious at this point, turned around to see Dumbledore running into the bathroom, followed by Professors Slughorn and Flitwick. As he expected, their concerned expressions dissolved into horror as they took in the scene: McGonagall threatening Umbridge, Dolores' dead body at the women's feet, Mary's Petrified form not too far away, and Severus, who was struggling tremendously just to stay on his feet.

Madam Pomfrey and a few other teachers later followed, but by then, the world had become a blur for Severus. At long last, his shaking knees gave out, and he fell to the ground with a faint splash. Then blackness.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Although I cannot say that I believe you did it, you must know the circumstances are working poorly in your favour."

Severus nodded mutely. He had just left the hospital wing this morning, and already the headmaster was grilling him for answers. Dumbledore was being careful not to reveal certain information to him, which normally would have infuriated Severus, but today he was too exhausted to care. It had been a long night, and things would only get worse from here: he still had to face his peers.

He wondered what everyone was thinking about him. He knew they all thought that he killed Dolores; there was no evidence to the contrary, anyway. The other students knew he and the Umbridges were constantly at war with each other, especially after they all witnessed Dolores' defeat in the duel several months ago. But how could they possibly think that Severus, a mere second year, killed a powerful, seventh-year witch? He had been wandless at the time, and there were no indications of a brawl…

With a sinking feeling in his chest, Severus suddenly remembered: the monster of Slytherin. Apparently it could kill people as well as Petrify them. Since nobody knew the true characteristics of the creature, it was easy to pin the blame on him, saying that he ordered the monster to destroy her. There would be no need for the _Avada Kedavra_ that way, and this theory offered everyone a perfect opportunity to accuse Severus, as he had been caught in the middle of nearly every Chamber-related incident so far.

"Are you alright, Severus?" Dumbledore asked softly, noticing the young boy fidgeting in his seat.

"Fine," Severus snapped, feeling irritated with Dumbledore for having the nerve to force the necessary answers out of him before pretending that he cared about Severus' welfare. Still, he had provided the information the headmaster needed as he was supposed to, not caring about whatever hidden agenda the man was going to fulfil with it. If it would prove him innocent, then he felt it was best to side with Dumbledore until he proved himself unworthy of Severus' trust.

With a sad sigh, Dumbledore told him he could go. Severus left at once, not wanting to remain behind with him and McGonagall as they discussed what to do now that the governors who were in charge of Hogwarts were planning on shutting the school down.

Although Severus tried to ignore it, he could feel every eye on him as he quickly shuffled down the corridors, back to Gryffindor Tower where at least three people would know he didn't kill her. Several Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws whispered amongst themselves as he passed them; he could only hope the Gryffindors still believed he was innocent. The Slytherins laughed and called out their insults as they normally did, though this time they were also demanding to know why he wasn't in Slytherin if he knew how to control Salazar's beast.

_Just keep walking…just ignore them…just get back to the dormitory…_

He noticed several first years flee as soon as he got within a ten foot radius of them. Nobody wanted to be Severus Snape's next victim.

"Severus!"

He looked up to see James, Remus, and Sirius crawling out of the portrait and running over to him. At least they weren't scared of him.

"Is it true about Umbridge?" James asked, managing to conceal the excitement he probably felt underneath an uncharacteristically serious expression.

"Yes," was all that Severus could say. He didn't want to talk right now, he just wanted to go up to his comforting bed and sleep through the next week until this nightmare was over.

"Although we wish you really did do it, we believe you didn't kill her," Sirius said, trying to make him smile, but his comment only made Severus feel worse.

"Thanks," he mumbled miserably as the foursome climbed through the portrait. The common room was noisy today, but it immediately fell silent upon Severus' arrival. They all stared at him as though he were brandishing a Muggle rifle and the Muggleborn Spyr sisters actually jumped behind the couch to hide from him.

Inside him, something shattered. Severus' own house thought he was a murderer. During this difficult time, he thought he'd at least have his Gryffindor housemates on his side, but they, too, weren't so keen on trusting him anymore.

The next couple of days went horribly for Severus. Except for Lily and the loony Ravenclaw, Muse Lovegood— who thought Dolores' death was a part of the 'Quasi-Duck Conspiracy,' whatever that was— nobody in the other three houses believed that Severus was blameless.

"Of course I know you didn't do it," Lily whispered to him one day in Potions. "Unless you have some unknown hatred for Muggleborns that I didn't know about—"

"I don't," Severus cut her off a little harsher than he was intending to. He wasn't in the mood for joking, and even if he could prove that he didn't hate Muggleborns, that wouldn't help his case, since the monster was attacking people from all kinds of backgrounds, even purebloods.

To get his mind off things, he shut himself away in his dormitory whenever he wasn't in class. He rarely went to meals anymore, and he was barely even talking to his friends. They grew increasingly worried about him, but Severus couldn't bring himself to speak to them for more than a few minutes at a time. The latest attack was still fresh in their minds, and Severus didn't want to give them the opportunity to bring it up. Isolating himself from others was simply how Severus dealt with his problems. He was not one to speak his mind, and he had given up trying to convince others he was guiltless days ago. If they weren't willing to listen, then he wasn't willing to redeem his ruined reputation.

"You have to eat _sometime_, you know," James said after he, Remus, and Sirius returned from dinner a week after the murder to find Severus still sitting on his trunk, pointing his wand at a lizard and muttering something that sounded like "Seck-Tums-Emper-Ah."

"Here," Sirius tossed a rather large bundle of food onto his bed, startling him slightly. "Eat this."

Severus slowly put the reptile down and glanced inside. "Where'd you get this?"

"Nicked it," James said proudly. "From the elves in the kitchen."

Severus wanted to refuse it, but he grudgingly ate some after his stomach released a monstrous roar. He hadn't eaten a full meal in days.

As angry as he was about his fellow students turning on him, Severus felt a sudden rush of gratitude for his friends. Even if he didn't care about his body wasting away from starvation, they did. He was lucky to have friends like them.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Lily's back!"

Lily laughed nervously as nearly everyone in the common room ran over and completely surrounded her, waiting anxiously for her to speak. She had just gotten back from a not-so-secret meeting with Severus, who had asked her to meet him in the old broom closet in the Arithmancy corridor on the third floor around nine o'clock. When she had asked why they needed to meet together in private, he would only say that there was something very important he needed to tell her. He had made an incredible discovery the other day in the library, and he was desperate to tell her about it.

Naturally, everyone in her house found out about Lily's plans to meet up with 'Slytherin's Heir' and wanted to know what the boy said to her. They immediately cornered her upon her return, demanding for information.

"He thinks it's a basilisk," Lily informed them once the chatter had died down. "It's a giant snake controlled only by a Parselmouth."

There was a collective gasp amongst the group. She told them everything Severus had told her, from the monster's deadly gaze to the usage of mirrors as protection against the basilisk.

Severus had a theory that all of the people who had been Petrified had been looking into a mirror or water reflection of some sort, while Dolores had directly looked into the creature's eyes, thus causing her death. Most of Lily's friends were highly doubtful about this, but at least Regulus and Narcissa believed her.

"I don't remember much…but I think I did see yellow eyes in the mirror when it happened," Narcissa whispered. She shivered, realizing just how close she had been to death on that fateful night.

"So Severus can't possibly be the culprit if he's trying so hard to figure out what really happened," Lily concluded.

"What if he's just trying to frame someone?" Evan Rosier asked darkly. "Going on about how much research he's doing to clear his name looks suspicious, if you ask me."

"Sev's not a Parselmouth!" Lily shot back furiously.

"How do you know?" Peter Pettigrew asked quietly. Laika and the Carrows nodded in agreement.

_I…don't know,_ Lily thought silently. _But Sev would have told me if he was…he's not the Heir of Slytherin…there's no way it could be him…_

But if it wasn't Severus, then who was it? Lily felt the hair on the back of her neck raise uncomfortably as the large group continued watching her. Was it one of her friends? It obviously wasn't any of the Blacks; Bellatrix adored her little sister and would never do anything to harm her. Regulus was out of the question too. But what about Laika? She had a gift for hiding the truth, but even then, Lily found it extremely difficult to think it was her.

Still, it made her uneasy to think that someone she probably trusted wanted to kill her. Lily hoped that after the latest tragedy, the perpetrator would finally give up; the school year ended in just three weeks, after all. Perhaps murdering Dolores was the final task for the basilisk and its master…

**xXxXxXxXx**

"I don't understand why you had to tell Evans," James said grumpily during breakfast the next day. "She's going to tell everyone she knows, obviously."

"I think that was the point." Remus said quietly as he watched Severus out of the corner of his eye. He had finally come down to the Great Hall for a meal the first time this week, but he still refused to eat anything.

His friends knew what he was dreading: hearing what Umbridge was going to do to avenge her daughter's death. She had left Hogwarts the day after Dolores died to return to London. Dumbledore had told the school that she would not be returning to teach for the rest of the year, and a replacement teacher had been hired.

As far as the boys knew, Dolores had had a private funeral at her home, and after it was all over, Darcy had gone back to the Ministry to resume her post as Senior Undersecretary to the Minister. While everything appeared to be calming down and getting back to normal, Severus _knew_ it wasn't over just yet.

He continued staring unblinkingly into his pumpkin juice, even as the morning owl post arrived. He knew nothing in the _Daily Prophet_ would cheer him up, so only when the little screeching owl bit him harshly on the nose did he untie the newspaper and tell the bird to get lost.

"Anything interesting today?" Sirius asked casually, trying to keep the conversation away from any topic that might upset Severus.

With a bored and wholly disinterested sigh, Severus unfolded the paper and stared down at the front page. It took him several seconds to take in the day's big headline:

**MINISTRY'S SENIOR UNDERSECRETARY TO PRESS CHARGES AGAINST DAUGHTER'S MURDERER**

His eyes quickly scanned through the article, and once he finished, he swore so loudly that most of the teachers turned their heads in his direction.

That was just what he had feared. Umbridge had finally gone public with her grievances, and was apparently trying "…to have the killer put in his rightful place in Azkaban for brutally murdering Dolores Jane Umbridge and attacking several other students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Although he wasn't mentioned once in the article, Severus knew it was referring to _him._ The thought of going to Azkaban made him feel quite ill, as though he was going to throw up what little food he had left in his stomach. He had never seen a dementor in his life, and he was quite keen on keeping it that way.

Horror-struck, he put the paper down and stared across the table his friends.

_What's wrong?_ their eyes seemed to ask him silently.

"If we don't find out who _really_ opened the Chamber of Secrets soon," he whispered slowly, trying to keep the panic out of his voice. "I think I'm going to Azkaban."

* * *

**A/N: **_At first, that might sound utterly impossible and perhaps a little ridiculous, but if you take into consideration that Darcy Umbridge is just below the Minister with countless Ministry connections, AND she's extremely upset with the death of her daughter (and she's 98% certain of who it is), then it might not sound so crazy after all. Also remember that the Ministry convicted Sirius for killing the Muggles and Peter Pettigrew in canon without a trial (simply based on the overwhelming amount of evidence). If Darcy went as far as trying to convict the person responsible, at least they'd get a trial. _

_But there might not even be a trial at all: next chapter is the big showdown we've all been waiting for, and I certainly hope it does not disappoint. _

_Thank you for reading and reviews are greatly appreciated, as always :)_


	33. Heir of Slytherin

**A/N: **_Thank you for all of your comments on the previous chapter. I apologize for the late update; with school starting again and finding out that my grandma might have pancreatic cancer, things have not been easy lately, but I will do my best to update every six or seven days. Enjoy~_

* * *

"Oi…Sev."

Severus turned his head away from James, pretending he couldn't hear him. He knew that his friend was trying to slip him a note, but with only four days left of school, Severus wasn't taking any chances: he couldn't land himself in yet _another_ detention.

He figured he had spent more than half of his weekday evenings and Saturdays in detention this year. Thanks to Umbridge, he had missed Gryffindor's final Quidditch match of the year, where James scored over twenty goals, a huge improvement from his first match of the year, where he hadn't score once. The Ravenclaws had won the Quidditch Cup last year, but this year, the Gryffindors finally came in first place.

"_Sev,_" James hissed louder still. He nudged Severus with his elbow, trying to get him to take his secret note, but Severus continued ignoring him.

For the past several weeks, there had been rumours going around that the governors and Ministry were working together to shut down the school. Severus couldn't push that horrible idea out of his mind, nor could he force himself to forget what he read in the _Daily Prophet_ yesterday about Dumbledore's possible resignation. Dumbledore couldn't possibly agree to it, Severus knew: the Ministry, led by their Umbridge-fan Minister, would oust him whether or not he wanted to leave. According to the _Prophet_, the only reason Dumbledore would be allowed to stay is if they convict someone for opening the Chamber of Secrets by the end of summer.

Oblivious to Severus' persistent refusals, James elbowed him a few more times.

"What do you want?!" Severus barked at him as he snatched the stupid parchment away from James and unfolded it.

"Passing notes, boys?" the new Defense teacher asked sternly as he strolled up to their desk and took the note away before Severus could read a single word. "Hmm…I'm afraid I'll be seeing you two in detention tonight."

Fighting the urge to hex that sheepish grin off James' face, Severus swore under his breath.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Are you alright?"

"Fine…just tired I suppose."

"Go to sleep then."

Lily sighed miserably. "I can't. I'm too worried about Sev…haven't you been reading the _Daily Prophet_? That wretched woman is trying to convince the Ministry to throw him in Azkaban!"

Regulus rolled his eyes. Lily was his best friend, but her obsession with the greasy Gryffindor was getting to be very irksome. It was always Severus, Severus, _Severus_ with her_._ Quite frankly, Regulus was growing rather jealous of the git, and did all he could to get her mind off Snape.

"They probably won't convict him, even if he does have a hearing," Regulus said, barely able to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "He's only a second year, and everyone knows Umbridge is barking mad."

"I hope you're right," Lily whispered.

"So what are your plans for summer?" Regulus asked quickly, trying to change the subject while he still could. "My parents said you could stay with us in August. Bella and Cissy's parents are going abroad that month, so they'll be staying with us too…my parents don't even mind that you're only a half-blood," he added jokingly, though this only made Lily feel more nauseous.

"Oh…well…that sounds—"

Before Lily could finish, the entrance doors of the common room burst open. Peter Pettigrew came stumbling in, wild-eyed and positively terrified.

"Someone's been taken _into_ the Chamber!" he cried before falling to his knees, ready to faint.

There was a collective gasp amongst the dozen or so Slytherins in the common room; some were gleeful, some didn't care at all, and others looked as scared as Peter.

"Who?"

"Th-the Snape boy!"

Immediately, every head turned to Lily, wanting to see her reaction.

"What?" she croaked, praying her ears had deceived her. "N-Not Severus?"

Still breathing hard, Peter nodded. "I-I think I saw the culprit j-just before he took him away. There was n-nothing I could do to s-stop him."

Lily's heart plummeted. She didn't know much about the Chamber of Secrets, but she knew that actually going into the chamber itself could not be a good thing for her friend. The thought of Severus being tortured (or worse) sent shivers down her spine. She couldn't just sit here and do nothing while Severus was dragged away to meet his horrible fate. Despite the dangers that might lay in store for her, she needed to go after him.

"Go find Slughorn," she told Regulus as she pulled on her cloak and shoved her wand into her pocket. Her hands were moist with sweat and shaking uncontrollably, but she forced her mind to remain calm and collected for the time being. Severus' survival might be at stake…

Regulus stared at her. "You can't possibly be thinking of—"

"I have to, Regulus," Lily cut him off. "He's my best friend, and if I don't save him…nobody will."

"What about Potter? Or Sirius?"

"I'm not taking any chances," she replied grimly.

"But what if he's already…well…"

"He's _not_ dead," Lily said, her voice unnaturally high as the fear within her intensified. "He'll…_we'll_ be fine."

Regulus did not look convinced, but nodded anyway as she left her seat and solemnly marched over to Peter, ready to do anything to save her friend.

"Do you remember where you last saw him?" Lily asked quite calmly.

"I-I think s-so," he stammered and timidly gestured for her to follow him.

_Sev's fine…he's fine, I'm sure of it…everything will turn out okay…_

However, no matter how many times she repeated it in her head as she raced after Peter down the faintly-lit corridors, she just couldn't bring herself to believe everything was going to be fine after all…

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Damn you, James!_

If it weren't for James' foolishly persistent and aggravating attempts to pass him a letter earlier today, Severus wouldn't be here now, in detention, scrubbing bat gunk and bubble gum off of the ceiling. It was undoubtedly Peeves' doing, but, as always, the clean-up was left to a student.

James was currently cleaning maggots out of the statues of armour in the hallway perpendicular to him, which was no difficult task, as he was whistling quite merrily as he worked.

Severus swore as a fresh pile of bat droppings landed on his head. McGonagall had been sympathetic enough to leave them their wands for the night's janitorial duties, though Severus knew this was because she was well-aware of the fact that neither of them knew a single cleaning spell.

_Bloody idiot…sounds like he's having a good time over there,_ he thought bitterly as he began to wonder if James was really working at all.

"Are you _sure_ he was around here?" Severus heard a girl's voice suddenly break through the silence. His eyes widened, recognizing the voice as Lily's at once. What was she doing out of her common room at this hour?

Severus quickly and silently scurried down the ladder, hoping to catch a glimpse of his friend. There was someone with her—Regulus?

He crept around the corner and saw her faint figure go through a door at the end of the corridor, followed by another person, whose features were obscured by shadows. The person looked like a boy, but he was too plump to be Regulus and too short to be any older than a second or third year.

Pulling his wand out of his pocket, Severus started forward, only to come to a halt when he realized what door they had gone through.

Why, oh _why_ did it have to be _that_ room again? Severus felt the old familiar feeling of dread wash over him, like water overflowing from Myrtle's toilet in the room Lily and her mysterious friend had just gone into. Did the world just hate him, or was he just _really_ unlucky this year?

"Lily!" he hissed, trying to get her attention, but by then, the door had already closed.

Out of nowhere, a bizarrely humanlike hissing floated faintly through the cracks in the door, followed by several low rumbles of something that sounded like stones moving apart. Severus' heart pounded against his chest as he continued onward, driven by both his inner Gryffindor recklessness and his determination to ensure Lily's safety…

"I don't know…are you sure he went—"

There was a sudden shriek.

_Lily!_

He pushed the door open just as the shadowy figure disappeared down what appeared to be a tunnel hidden in the sink. It immediately closed once the person was gone, leaving Severus staring at it in shock.

"_LILY!_" he screamed once his mind finally registered what was going on. "_STUPEFY!_"

The spell didn't open the secret passageway in the sink; it only shattered a faucet, splashing water everywhere.

"_REDUCTO!_"

He'd never actually _tried_ that spell before; however, he knew the theory behind it. As expected, it did not work on the sink. Severus tried it again.

"_REDUCTO!_"

Still nothing. With a screech of rage, Severus hurled himself at the sink and pounded on it with his bare hands. His instincts told him Lily was in grave danger, and since magic wouldn't open the entranceway, he decided to try using brute force. Unfortunately, Severus was not muscularly built like Sirius and James, and his hysterical attempts to get to Lily led to painful consequences. Shiny crimson blood dribbled down his pale knuckles, but all he could think about was saving Lily. What was she thinking, going in here…of all places in the castle, why _here?!_

"OI! ARE YOU MAD?!" James yelled as he entered the room and tried pulling Severus away from the discoloured old sink. Severus thrashed around James' grip, trying to break free, but his friend held him tightly.

"Let me go!" he roared, trying to reach his wand so he could blast James out of his way, but his hands couldn't find his pockets.

"What are you doing?" James asked. His breathing was laboured from trying to keep Severus from attacking what he thought was just a regular washing sink, though thankfully, Severus was running out of energy to fight back.

"Someone…they…took…THEY'VE GOT LILY!"

"What?! Who's got Evans?"

"The person controlling the basilisk, you prat! Haven't you noticed where we are?"

James released him, looked around for a moment, then gasped. "The girls'—"

"Bathroom, yes," Severus snapped before pointing his wand at the unmoving obstacle and firing several more hexes and curses at it. Nothing opened it.

"They're in _there_?" James asked incredulously. "How'd they get in?"

"I don't know," Severus said furiously. "I was out there when I heard Lily talking to someone and they entered the bathroom, then there was a strange hissing, and…"

Severus inhaled sharply.

"Then…?" James prodded, wondering why his friend was suddenly staring at him as though he just asked him to marry the basilisk.

"It must have been Parseltongue," he whispered.

"Oooh, very good," a girlish voice came from above them, making both of the boys jump. It was Moaning Myrtle, the ghost who had been the first victim of the basilisk this year.

"How do you get through that thing if you don't know Parseltongue?" Severus snapped at her. If he didn't hurry, Lily would be long gone by the time he figured out how to get through…

"I don't know," said Myrtle, hissing tauntingly at Severus as she spoke.

"Well…you heard it the first time, didn't you?" James asked slowly. "Why don't you just mimic what you heard?"

"That is the most idiotic idea I've heard in a while," Severus said flatly, in no mood for James' jokes. He could hear Lily screaming several levels below him…or was that just his imagination?

"I'm serious!" James protested, but Severus wasn't foolish: if you're not born a Parselmouth, you'll never be one.

"Well, if you're too late to save her…she's welcome to share my toilet with me," Myrtle smirked as Severus' jaw dropped in horror at the thought of Lily's dead spirit haunting a bathroom.

"Fine!" he snapped, then focused all of his attention on remembering what the person had sounded like as he spoke Parseltongue. Myrtle's pretend-Parseltongue sounded a lot like the culprit's version…was it possible she knew how to open the Chamber? Or was she just mimicking him as well? He feverishly hoped this would work; if it didn't, nothing would.

"Hiss…?"

James shrugged. "Sounded like English to me."

_Focus!_ Severus willed himself silently, then tried again: "_Hisss_…"

To James and Severus, it sounded like any other hiss, but finally, something had worked: white light dazzled from the serpent faucet, and the entire sink sunk into the ground.

"Bloody hell," James whispered as he stared into the large, pitch-black tunnel before them.

"Go find Dumbledore," Severus said bleakly, refusing to take his eyes away from the opening. Did he _really_ want to find out what was beyond this seemingly endless passageway?

Reminding himself that there was still some chance that Lily was alive down there, he supposed he had no choice but to go.

"I'm coming with you."

"No. I can do it alone. Lily's my friend…you don't need to put yourself in danger for her."

"And what if something happens to both of you down there? Who's going to save your arses then?"

"That's why I'm asking you to find Dumbledore…_Please_," he begged him, wanting to waste as little time as possible.

James frowned, clearly unhappy with being left behind. "Fine. Just…don't get yourself killed, alright? I'll never pass Potions again without you."

"Alright mate," Severus rolled his eyes, then plunged himself into the pipe, preparing for the worst.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"I can honestly say that I've never seen a more gullible Slytherin than you, Evans."

Lily suppressed a sob. Her wrists were still bleeding heavily in the five areas where Peter's fingernails had punctured deep beneath her skin as he had dragged her along the eerie tunnel that led up to this place, a dimly-lit hall with statues of emerald-eyed snakes on either side.

Upon exiting the pipe from the bathroom, Lily immediately knew there was something horribly wrong. Peter was not acting like himself, and the voice in which he now spoke to her was high, clear, and cold, much unlike his normally pathetic and wheezy voice.

She was ashamed to admit that she had been tricked; Peter had used her friendship with Severus against her, and now it was she, Lily, who needed help, not Sev. She had a wand, but Peter's wand rose at even the tiniest movement of her hands. By the time she got to it, he would have already Stunned her.

Lily was terrified by the fact that nobody knew she was down here, at the mercy of a boy whom she had thought she could trust. So much for the 'clever and cunning few' that the Sorting Hat had spoken of in her first year…she had to be the worst Slytherin ever.

"Where is Severus?" she asked him in a tiny voice, though it was quite obvious that Severus was not here. She was starting to feel dizzy from the amount of blood she was still losing from her wrist, but she didn't want to find out what the disturbed boy would do to her if she lost consciousness. If only she could get to her wand…

"Foolish girl," Peter spat, again in the chillingly clear voice. Lily didn't know if it was just her imagination, but when he spoke, his eyes seemed to glow faintly scarlet…

"What use is the boy to Him, aside from bait for the Ministry of Magic to mangle and destroy?"

Peter turned on her and pointed his wand directly at her chest. He grinned cruelly as tears of dread exploded from her eyes.

"No…what He wants…is you."

"Me?" Lily bit her quavering lip, trying to appear braver than she felt. If only she had asked Regulus to come along…

Just before Peter could answer her, the entrance to the chamber slowly slid open behind them. The enormous marble snakes barring the exit slithered away, and after much creaking a groaning from the centuries-old stones, there was silence once more.

There stood Severus, looking thoroughly exhausted, though ready for battle. His wand was out and pointed directly at Peter.

"There's our true Slytherin," Peter drawled, completely unfazed by Severus' sudden arrival. "Mimicking Parseltongue…I had hoped you might try that."

"You…did?" Severus faltered, losing any confidence he had left as he gazed into the other boy's impossibly red eyes. His shoulders sagged in relief at the sight of Lily staring at him: she was still alive.

"Of course," Peter said coldly. "_He_ was going to leave it up to the Ministry to kill you, but why make them go to so much trouble? He is merciful…He will allow you to die alongside your Mudblood girlfriend."

Lily muffled a shriek.

"The Dark Lord _knows_," Peter answered her unasked question. "You cannot hide it from Him. Admittedly, I've underestimated you, Evans. You've managed to evade me all year, but…_your luck has finally run out._"

"Peter…what's wrong with you?" Lily cried. She had always seen Peter Pettigrew as an odd boy, but never cruel and evil. He had helped her carry her things when she was injured the previous year; now he wanted to _kill_ her?

"He's possessed," Severus said suddenly, recognizing all of the signs. He unconsciously raised his own wand a little higher. There was a long period of silence, in which the only noise Severus could hear was what sounded inexplicably like the faint rhythmic ticking of metallic heartbeats.

Peter shook his head and grinned maliciously. "I prefer to call it 'gratefully accepting a task the Dark Lord entrusted me with.'"

As Peter's eyes bore into his, Severus noticed Lily out of the corner of his eye, stealthily sneaking her uninjured hand into her pocket, no doubt trying to retrieve her wand. If he could just distract the boy for a little while longer, they might just have a chance…

"Well you've done a terrific job so far," said Severus sarcastically. "You've Petrified more purebloods than Muggleborns, and you killed a pureblood teacher. Trust, indeed!"

"You failed to include the Mudblood and half-blood that are about to die," Peter replied quietly. His grip tightened on his wand, and Severus instinctively copied him. "Or are you under the impression you're getting out of this alive?"

"STUPEFY!"

Severus and Peter's eyes immediately averted from each other and to Lily, who had finally managed to pull out her wand. It seemed impossible that anyone could be quick enough to block the surprise attack, but Peter, under the influence of something obviously powerful and Dark, managed just that. With a lazy flick of his wand, the flash of red light evaporated into nothingness, and in the split second Lily didn't move, Peter shot a lethal-looking black jet of light at her.

It hit her squarely in the face.

While Lily's piercing screams of agony continued to echo throughout the massive chamber, her body fell to the ground, lying motionless as Dolores had been when Severus had stumbled onto her freshly-murdered corpse not too long ago.

"LILY!" Severus screamed, fearing the worst as he helplessly fell to his knees next to her crumpled figure. All of his fears and worries about Pettigrew and the monster vanished at once; the only thing that mattered right now was Lily. He didn't care how childish he was, crying over his possibly-dead friend's seemingly lifeless form. She had not been hit by the Avada Kedavra, but then why wasn't there a pulse?

"Lily…Lily no…please don't…" he cried, stroking her soft pale cheeks, as though his touch would miraculously bring her back. Her eyes remained closed, giving her the appearance of someone who was merely sleeping; had he seen those wondrous green eyes for the last time?

She was so young…he couldn't lose her…not Lily, the first person who had ever shown him that human beings really could show kindness to him…

Even if she wasn't dead, the curse was undoubtedly a highly damaging specimen of Dark magic. If she lived, would Lily ever be the same again? Or would she end up like Melika, the other Slytherin Muggleborn who really should have been permanently shut up in a wizarding asylum, but was allowed to return to Hogwarts because of its compassionate headmaster?

With his eyes still blurred with tears, he looked up at Pettigrew, knowing at once what he would do. The room was moist and warm, but Severus' body shivered as though he were caught in the middle of an Arctic blizzard. Only his right hand, the one holding his wand, remained steady. Pettigrew had hurt—and possibly killed— Lily.

Severus would kill Pettigrew.

"Lower your wand, or I shall call the basilisk," Peter said at once, practically reading Severus' mind. He didn't lower his wand, however.

"I take it you understand the Dark Lord is exceedingly generous, allowing you to die here, rather than face the Dementors after the Ministry convicts you this summer?"

"You…" Severus hissed, his voice trembling, though his desperation to escape was now greater than his fear of death, "…will not…kill me."

Peter's eyes narrowed into scarlet slits. "Very well. You have sealed your own fate."

Severus kept his wand pointed at Peter, even as he turned around and spoke seemingly to the walls.

"_Kill._"

There was an explosion of rupturing stones behind Severus. He did not turn around to look at it, because he already knew what it was and what would happen to him it he looked at it directly in the eyes.

The monster of Slytherin roared, sensing its prey at the other end of the chamber. Umbridge had not been enough…its long-dead original owner had ingrained within it the fiercest desire to kill, and it would not fail its master's wishes.

Wasting no time to actually _think_ about what he was doing, Severus hoisted Lily's petite, yet deadweight body over his shoulder and ran for his life. Lily's limp form weighed him down like a bagful of heavy Galleons, but he surged forward, ignoring the screams of Pettigrew behind him.

"STUPEFY!" he aimed the spell over his shoulder to where he assumed the beast was pursuing him. Its infuriated hiss made his ears ring painfully: he hadn't stopped it, he only made it angrier.

His insides screamed for more air and his lungs burned as though someone had released Fiendfyre within them, but Severus did not slow his pace. He couldn't afford to. He could hear the great monster slithering closer to him every second…it was only a matter of moments before it finally caught up to them…

A sudden and inexplicable rush of adrenaline flowed through him, giving him more strength and power than he could have ever imagined. None of his spells and hexes had worked thus far; there was only one left he hadn't tried. It had never worked on the lizard, but it was his only hope left…

"_SECTUMSEMPRA!_"

The bellowing monster suddenly ceased all movement. Severus kept running, bewildered as to why it had stopped its pursuit; Sectumsempra had never worked before…had it worked now?

The giant splash of blood landing on him confirmed it. The basilisk hissed loudly in excruciating pain, but Severus did not look back. He ploughed forward out of the chamber, into the damp and darkened tunnel that eventually would lead back up to Myrtle's bathroom. He could only hope that James had gotten Dumbledore by now…

"_Partum Macula!_" he yelled, pointing his wand at the pipe. A tiny stairway sprung up out of nowhere, and he quickly scrambled up, careful not to hit Lily's head on the pipe as he ascended. Apart from his giant gasps for air between footfalls, he could hear Pettigrew screaming and the frightful monster still roaring behind him. He hadn't killed the thing as he had hoped he would, but at least one spell had given him enough time to get out of there alive.

After several seconds of steady climbing, he saw the light at the end of the tunnel, but his body was starting to fail him. His left leg was bleeding profusely, as he had hit it rather harshly against a sharp edge in the pipe in his desperation to get away from that place as quickly as he could. His greatly weakened arms could barely support Lily now, and only by the miracle of six hands pulling him out of the pipe did he get out of there in one piece.

After he coughed up a mouthful of blood and Lily was gently carried away, Severus collapsed onto his back and stared up into the faces of his saviours: Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Slughorn. Off to the side, he could see the horror-stricken faces of James, Sirius, Remus, and Regulus watching him.

Severus closed his eyes just as a river of blood from his forehead tried spilling into them. If Lily hadn't survived…he never wanted to open them again.

* * *

**Long A/N:**

_-Writing from Severus and Lily's POV, I didn't really have the opportunity to explain how Peter was possessed. Voldemort wanted to open the CoS this time around to rid his noble house of Mudbloods, so he used Dark magic to rip Peter's human heart out, and replace it with his locket, a Horcrux. It was not in danger, because removing it or destroying it would kill Peter instantly (he knows Dumbledore wouldn't inflict this on a student if he somehow DID find out). It's protected by several enchantments, so even the most skilled Healers would mistake it for a normal heart. He also Imperiused Peter (see chapters 14 & 26). Oh, and Voldemort's not an idiot: he won't actually leave the locket where it is now that the year's over..._

_-Yes, Peter is the son of Patrick Pettigrew (again, see chapter 14)._

_-Sectumsempra only worked for Severus this early on because it was a life or death situation. In DH, when Harry's wand spurted golden fire at Voldemort in the seven Potters chase, many people were saying afterward how witches and wizards can perform extraordinary magic under dire circumstances. Severus did just that. _

_-Also in DH, Ron mimicked Parseltongue to open the CoS. Deus ex machina, I know, but since it helped the plot, I hope you'll forgive me. _

_Thank you for reading, and reviews are greatly welcomed :)_


	34. The Potions Master and the Old Man

**A/N:**_ Thank you for your comments on the last chapter. I'm sorry about the long wait, I was working on my oneshot, "Malfoy's Asylum" in between chapters. This chapter is a little confusing, so please read the A/N at the end. Enjoy~_

* * *

"_The Dark Lord knows."_

_Severus stared into the eyes of the devil, wanting nothing more than to attack him, but there was no wand in his pocket. That was odd; he never went anywhere without his wand. Why had it suddenly disappeared?_

"_Stupefy!"_

_In slow motion, he could see Pettigrew lazily block his friend's spell and send a terrible black curse at her in return. It struck her in the face and her frail body fell for what seemed like a lifetime. At last, she struck the ground, not a single hint of life about her…_

"Lily!"

Severus jolted awake. His lungs gasped for air and his body was covered in slick, slimy sweat, but he was otherwise alright. It was only a bad dream…or was it?

His entire body ached as he sat up and surveyed the room, which he recognized as the hospital wing: his eyes immediately landed on the bed across from him, where the limp form of a redheaded girl lay.

"Lily!"

He clumsily stumbled out of his bed and crawled over to her. There was no more searing hot pain in his leg; instead it was numb and completely useless, probably from one of Pomfrey's pain-reducing remedies.

"Oh Lily…" he whispered, his voice utterly flat in his devastation. He gently stroked her hand as memories of what had happened hit him like an angry Bludger. The chamber…possessed-Pettigrew…the flash of black light…Lily's screams falling silent as her body hit the ground…

But he had had his wand. Thanks to his _Sectumsempra_ curse actually doing what it was supposed to do, he had gotten out of there alive….but had Lily?

He could see her chest slowly rising up and down; at least she was breathing. She was alive, but he could not tell just how extensive the damage really was. He sincerely wished that she would be perfectly okay, that Pomfrey's healing would work as it always did, but Peter had used a really horrible Dark curse on her, that much he knew for sure.

He gently ran his fingers along her arm, which was badly burned and scarred. Was this permanent? He would accept her either way, but still; her left arm was quite grotesque compared to her other, scratch-free arm.

"Hi Sev!"

Out of nowhere, Lily jumped at him and threw her arms around him. Severus yelled out in shock and lost his balance, tumbling backward and onto the floor, with Lily landing on top of him, looking a little embarrassed.

"Lily! Don't— why did— don't do that!" he spluttered, unable to comprehend how she could go from looking almost dead to wide-awake and cheerful within seconds.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she helped him to his feet. "I was just relieved to see you finally awake."

"I was thinking the same thing about you!"

"Oh…I'm fine. Except this of course," she nonchalantly gestured to her disfigured arm. "Madam Pomfrey says it's probably going to be like this for the rest of my life. She says I must have been hit by a pretty awful curse."

Severus stared at her. How could she not recall that…?

"You were hit in the face," he said quietly. "Don't you remember?"

Lily's smile disappeared at once. "I don't. I've been trying to remember for days, but I can't remember anything except that last conversation I was having with Regulus a week ago."

"A week ago?" Severus asked, puzzled. "How long have we been in here?"

"Madam Pomfrey says six days. School ended on Friday," Lily added. "Today's Monday."

"So everyone's…gone?" Severus choked. How was he going to get Pettigrew now? If school was finished, then he had undoubtedly escaped by now. With Lily not remembering anything from that night, his situation was getting more difficult every minute…

"Actually," Lily's grin returned, "-no."

She pointed in the direction of another room, where Severus could see five distinct shadows. They appeared to be waiting for Pomfrey to allow them inside, and upon closer inspection, Severus saw that three of the shadows belonged to James, Sirius, and Remus. They were giving up some of their summer to remain behind and ensure that he was okay. Severus could not remember a time where he felt more grateful for friends like them.

The other two were Regulus and Narcissa Black. Severus wasn't exactly thrilled to see them, but if Lily wanted them there, then so be it.

He vowed he would do anything to make her happy, because although he had technically saved her life, he still felt tremendously guilty for allowing Lily to get hurt. If he had been a little quicker, he knew he could have stopped her from following Peter into the chamber. He also knew it was somewhat her fault for going along with it, but he still placed all of the blame on his own shoulders. Partially thanks to him, some of her memory was now completely wiped, and her arm was scarred for life. As hard as he tried to convince himself that he was blameless, he simply couldn't do it.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Madam Pomfrey demanded as she entered Severus and Lily's section of the ward and saw them both sitting on the edge of Lily's bed.

"Sev's finally awake," Lily replied cheerfully as Pomfrey hurriedly pulled Severus back to his own bed against his will and began fussing over him.

"I'm fine!" he snapped at her, swatting her hand away from his face as she examined his eyes and ears.

"Can we come in yet?" James' impatient voice echoed throughout the ward.

Despite his irritation with Pomfrey's obsessive healing procedures, Severus grinned. He owed his life to James, as he surely would have died in that bathroom had his friend not gone to find help.

"Please?" he begged Pomfrey just before she opened her mouth to say 'no.'

She eyed him closely for a moment, then reluctantly conceded.

James and Sirius burst into the room like a pair of Thoroughbreds coming out of the starting gate. Remus followed close behind, and the two Slytherin Blacks held up the rear.

"How are you feeling Sev?"

"It's about time you woke up; you've been out for _days_!"

"You know, I think you were faking it so I'd have to be around _those two_ more. I've seen more of Regulus in the past week than I did all last year!"

Severus rolled his eyes and pretended to scowl, but deep down, he had missed his friends' quirkiness. To someone who thought he was going to die down there in the chamber, seeing his friends again was the greatest joy he could possibly have.

"Alright Sev, tell us what happened," Lily said as she came over and sat down in the edge of Severus' bed, in between Remus and Sirius. Narcissa and Regulus reluctantly hung back, but came in close enough to hear what Severus was about to say. _Everyone_ wanted to know what had happened, but since Lily couldn't remember anything, Severus was the only person who knew the truth.

"It was Pettigrew," Severus said bluntly. If he was weak in answering this, people would not believe him and start suspecting him all over again. He had had enough of false accusations in the past several months, and it was time to set the record straight.

Behind the Gryffindor boys, Regulus scoffed. "_Pettigrew?_ He can't even spell his own name right."

"Are you saying that _I _did it?" Severus asked coldly, sparing no kindness for the Slytherin boy.

"No he's not," Lily answered quickly, not wanting to anger either of the boys, both of whom she considered her best friends.

"Why did he drag you into the Chamber of Secrets?" Narcissa asked him, her tone entirely unbiased. Severus stared at her, still not entirely sure if he should like her or loathe her.

"Pettigrew didn't take Sev, he took Evans!" James answered before Severus could. "Sev went in after her and _I_ went to get Dumbledore."

"Why did he want Lily then?" Narcissa shot back. Severus glanced at Lily. She looked completely calm and unruffled; she clearly didn't remember that Pettigrew knew she was Muggleborn.

"Wanted to kill a few halfbloods, I suppose," Severus shrugged, but he could tell that Narcissa didn't exactly believe him. In fact, by the way she was looking at him, he almost wondered if she knew more than what she was letting on…

"He was possessed," Severus continued, pointedly keeping his eyes away from Narcissa's. "He hit Lily with a Dark curse I didn't recognize, then sent the basilisk after me."

"And you escaped completely unharmed?" Regulus asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Why do you think I've been in the hospital wing all week?!" Severus shouted, unable to control himself. He hated Regulus with a burning passion, and his snide comments did nothing to help the situation with Pettigrew.

Severus knew the evidence against him was still rather daunting, but he would prove his innocence…he knew he would…

"Everyone out," Madam Pomfrey came rushing over to his bed after he yelled at Regulus. His three friends protested, saying it was Regulus' fault for upsetting him, but Pomfrey was adamant.

"Not to make you feel worse or anything," James whispered on his way out as he furtively shoved an old _Daily Prophet_ into his hands, "-but I think you should read this."

Severus was puzzled by the way he nodded solemnly on his way out; since when did James Potter take anything seriously?

When everyone was finally gone and Pomfrey had dragged Lily back to her bed, Severus carefully unfolded the paper and stared down at the text. It was from three days ago. The headline read:

**CHARGES AGAINST HOGWARTS STUDENT FILED, HEARING SCHEDULED FOR JULY**

Horrified, though not entirely surprised, Severus skimmed through the article. His name was plastered all over the place; apparently Umbridge still thought he had killed her daughter. Dumbledore was mentioned as "doing his best" to clear the charges, but Severus honestly didn't expect much from this. Sure, he would _try his best_, but if Severus was acquitted and he couldn't sufficiently prove it was Pettigrew, Dumbledore would be forced to resign from his post, according to the _Prophet._ What sane person would give up one of the best jobs in the world in order to protect one measly student? It would be a terrible blow to his 'greater good' ideals to save one and leave the rest of the students at Hogwarts at the mercy of whatever deranged Ministry official that would run the school in his place.

Sighing miserably, Severus threw the paper as far away from him as he could and buried his head into his pillow, frantically wishing for his mind to return to a comatose state for the next three months…

**xXxXxXxXx**

Two days ago, the school year had finally ended, and Minerva couldn't have been more relieved. Nothing fatal had happened this year; a rarity these days. Not wanting to remain at Hogwarts over the summer holidays, she was currently tidying up her office. Due to The Restrictions, she didn't have quite as many books on her shelves as she did when the previous headmaster was in charge of the school, but she was determined to rebuild her collection this summer.

While she was organizing several stacks of old parchment, a silver Otter Patronus formed in the middle of her office and spoke:

"_I'll be joining you shortly. Dementors killed Crookie Jr."_

The Patronus vanished, and Minerva felt a pang of sadness for her colleague. What a terrible tragedy indeed…

Twenty minutes later, she was walking down the path to Hogsmeade, where she and her colleague would be Disapparating. The Floo networks had been cut off for years, and Portkey creation was strictly forbidden within the school's property.

"Minerva!"

She stopped and turned to see her bushy-haired friend running down the path with nothing but a wand in one hand and a small handbag— which had been magically transformed to fit more belongings than its size would suggest— in the other.

Her eyes were red and puffy, undoubtedly from the loss of her cat.

"I'm sorry to hear about CJ, Hermione," Minerva said once she had caught up with her.

Hermione muffled a sob. "He was only three years old. Why the Dementors went after him is beyond me."

She tugged her travelling cloak tighter for comfort. After glancing around to ensure they were truly alone, she added: "I don't know how that wretched woman can justify allowing them freely roam the school…I can't believe none of the students have been Kissed yet!"

"Actually, that has happened," Minerva said in a hushed voice. Tears licked at her eyes as she remembered him…all those years ago…

Hermione gasped. "Was it an accident? When did this happen?"

"Darcy denies everything, but I think she ordered them to go after the boy. Surely you remember learning about the Riots of 1973 in History of Magic?"

Hermione nodded and, out of habit, she recited at top speed: "In an effort to banish the newly-instated Headmistress Umbridge, the students revolted, resulting in one death and countless injuries."

"Professor Binns isn't exactly thorough in his information these days, is he?" Minerva frowned. "There's actually much more to it than that."

Hermione's eyes widened. "More?"

Minerva knew her colleague was always interested in learning more, but this subject was particularly painful to speak about.

"The 1972 through 1973 school year is one I very much wish to forget, but it is clearer than ever in my mind," Minerva sighed deeply. "It was such a horrible year…we were just coming away from a year when the Chamber of Secrets had been reopened for the second time—"

"Chamber of Secrets?" Hermione asked, puzzled. "What's that?"

"Home to a terrible monster…according to him, only a Parselmouth could open it—"

"Harry's a Parselmouth!" Hermione exclaimed, looking thoroughly disturbed by this new information from Minerva.

"Let's be grateful he does not abuse this ability, then," Minerva said exasperatedly. Hermione was a wonderful person, but she often interrupted a little more than she should.

"There was a hearing…for a boy named Severus Snape. He was a Gryffindor, but he was accused of being the Heir of Slytherin after Darcy's daughter was found dead with him at the scene of the crime."

"So they…they convicted him?" Hermione asked in a tiny voice.

Minerva's eyebrows rose. "Actually…no. But he couldn't satisfactorily prove it was Peter Pettigrew, so the Ministry—" a single tear slipped down her cheek, "— ousted Albus Dumbledore and…replaced him…with _her._"

"What was Dumbledore like?"

"He was a brave man. And brilliant. He fought the Ministry and board of governors every single day that August, but come September first…he was forced to resign."

"What happened to him?"

Minerva sighed sorrowfully. "Some say he disappeared, some say he changed his name and appearance, and others say he died."

"What do you think?"

"I think he started looking for ways to defeat He Who Must Not Be Named. He never would have abandoned the Wizarding world entirely…he might still be looking. Potter might have even met up with him by now…they could be looking together."

"I don't think there's any way to defeat him," Hermione muttered pessimistically. "So what happened to Snape?"

"Well, as you can imagine, Darcy was very upset that her daughter's killer was never sent to Azkaban— she said it was Severus Snape, and nobody could change her mind," Minerva added, seeing Hermione's questioning glance. "So she took over the school in place of Albus. She brought in the Dementors and several 'Aurors' that I knew were actually Death Eaters. She was worse back then than she is now, if you can believe it.

"Obviously the students weren't too happy with her from the start. She took away Quidditch and Muggle Studies. There were no more Hogsmeade weekends, and no fun was allowed on the school grounds. So the students planned and fought back. It wasn't until spring of 1973 that they really started resisting her regime, with the biggest riot of all on May first. That was the day Severus Snape was Kissed by a Dementor. He was only a third year."

Hermione muffled a shriek of horror. "A _third year?!_ She…you think _she_ told them to do it to him?"

Minerva nodded and wiped her eyes. "I know she did. You see, Potter was unique in that he learned how to produce a Patronus in his third year. Severus...wasn't so lucky.

"He was leading the students alongside James, Sirius, and Remus— they were all best friends back in school."

"Harry's dad…and Sirius…and Professor Lupin?! Those two never mentioned it to us," Hermione said quietly.

"I think they don't want to talk about it, to be perfectly honest. They were distraught for weeks.

"Another boy, named Arthur Weasley, was struck by a Blinding Curse in that riot. You see, the 'Aurors' decided they were on Darcy's side instead of the students' and began attacking the very same people they were supposedly hired to protect. Arthur was badly crippled as well, due to his inability to see in the midst of the battle. I was _so_ close to saving him, but that was when…" Minerva trailed off and held back a small sob, "That was when I saw Severus and the Dementors in the distance. I cast a Patronus, but…it was too late by the time they got there. All of the other teachers were so busy fighting off the other dozens of Dementors on the grounds that we didn't even notice as two of them kidnapped Severus…not until after he had been Kissed."

The two women walked on in silence for quite some time. Hermione's mind was whirring, trying to comprehend the severity of the situation from so many years ago, while Minerva was trying to pull herself together.

"In an earlier riot, I believe it was November," Minerva finally began speaking again, "a young fifth year named Molly Prewett was hit by the Killing Curse. It was so chaotic, and the teachers were doing everything we could to protect everyone, but we didn't see this coming: she was killed by another student."

"Who?" Hermione asked, feeling ready to vomit.

"A seventh year Slytherin by the name of Bellatrix Lestrange."

"That's the same person who killed Sirius!" Hermione squeaked. Oh, would her colleague's nightmarish tale never end?!

"Yes, and she did more than just kill," Minerva continued in a heavy voice. "Out of all the injuries and murders, I don't know if anything can compare to what happened to poor Lily Evans."

"My mum's sister?!" Hermione shrieked. Her mother had mentioned her having an aunt once, but aside from the name, she never revealed anything else. All her hopes of it being a different Lily Evans were dashed as Minerva nodded slowly. Hermione wanted for Minerva to stop, but she couldn't help wanting to know everything. It was so frightening and chillingly-horrendous; she couldn't believe that all of this had happened right here at Hogwarts!

"Lily Evans currently resides in St. Mungo's," Minerva whispered as fresh tears sprang to her eyes. "She has been there since her third year, when the Slytherins found out that she had been lying to them about being a halfblood…she was actually a Muggleborn, and she paid a terrible price for her lie."

Tears flowed from Hermione's eyes as she thought about the Slytherins' prejudice against Muggleborns. She personally was Muggleborn, so Lily's story really tugged at her heart.

"Her mind is forever destroyed from their torture. It happened in the middle of the night in the Slytherin dormitory. Only two people tried to stop them from hurting her— Narcissa and Regulus Black."

"Malfoy's mum?" Hermione asked. Minerva nodded sadly.

"Unfortunately, they weren't enough to stop them. By the time the teachers got down there…the damage had been done and the three students that had done this to the poor thing had escaped on brooms. It was very well-thought out, and although they went to Azkaban when the Dark Lord fell…they're currently running free today."

Hermione was crying genuinely now, thinking of the poor aunt she never knew, who, like her, was born a witch to Muggle parents. While the only punishment she had ever gotten was being called a 'Mudblood,' Lily had suffered a far worse fate than she had.

"That was in January," Minerva said gloomily, feeling extremely depressed despite the beautiful summer day before them. "February came, and that poor Ravenclaw boy was thrown in Azkaban for refusing to cancel his publication, which ran articles that didn't exactly agree with the Death Eater ideals.

"His name was Xenophilius Lovegood."

"Harry's uncle?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "They threw him in prison just for _that?_"

Minerva nodded once more. "We did everything in our power to stop the Ministry from doing this. But _The Quibbler_ was running stories about Lily Evans and Molly Prewett, and they didn't want to grant him freedom after telling the world about things they wanted to keep hushed up."

"Can this possibly get any worse?!" Hermione cried, feeling utterly devastated after hearing about the former students' atrocious fates.

"The last tragedy of that year that I remember was that of Sirius Black…you know what Remus is, obviously?"

"Yes," Hermione whispered in a small voice.

"Well, Sirius and James somehow found out around March or April. James had the brains not to go snooping around, but Sirius wanted a solid confirmation. Reckless boy…such a fool…he followed Remus one night and saw the transformation. He wasn't scared as most people would have been; he thought it was rather exciting. Foolish boy…he didn't run until Remus was chasing after him. Remus obviously couldn't control his actions in that state of mind, but mind you, a werewolf is much faster than a human, and…Sirius got the bite."

"He never told us that," Hermione said in a hushed tone. "I mean, I knew he and Remus were werewolves, but I always assumed he had gotten it from Greyback!"

Minerva shook her head. "Ghastly scars, he had. Remus was a wreck for months."

"And then in May…that's when Severus Snape was…Kissed?"

"Yes…he was such a brilliant boy. He was very much like you, Hermione. If he had survived…I think you would be out of a job."

"So, he was good at Potions?" Hermione asked softly, imagining a man with light brown hair and handsome glasses standing over a simmering cauldron.

At last, they had passed the Apparition boundary.

Just before Disapparating, Minerva wistfully glanced back at Hogwarts one last time, trying to remember the good times she had once had there. That had been many years ago…before Dumbledore had left…things just weren't the same anymore…

**xXxXxXxXx**

Four days after she and Minerva had gone their separate ways, Hermione was hunched over in a Muggle pub, listening to the frantic conversations of the people sitting around her. None of them knew that the latest disasters had been caused by Voldemort's followers, but they did know that what was happening was not normal.

"—all of 'em dead, tha's wot I heard. No' a single scratch on 'em though…qui' odd, wouldn' you say?"

Hermione worried for these Muggles. One day they're perfectly fine, the next day, their dead in their beds. Death Eaters were growing more ruthless everyday, and if it weren't for her being the only decent potioneer out there to teach incoming students, she would have had her wand snapped and be left to starve on the streets like most of the other Muggleborns.

She was sitting by herself in the corner table tonight, not wanting to attract any attention as she read through the _Evening Prophet_.

"These are certainly troubling times, aren't they?" a quiet voice came from in front of her. Hermione quickly folded the paper down and looked up at the intruder. It was an old man with a long white beard and twinkling blue eyes behind his half-moon spectacles.

"May I sit here?" he asked, smiling at her as she gawked at his appearance.

Hermione, unsure of what else to do or say, nodded.

"Who are you?" she asked casually, knowing from his appearance that he was a wizard, but she didn't exactly recognize him. She felt as though she'd seen the face before, perhaps in a book or old newspaper, but the name was drawing a blank.

"I'm here to help you," he said calmly, ignoring her question. "You teach Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, am I correct?"

"Yes sir," she said, unsure of why she was calling a stranger 'sir.'

The old man beamed. His wizened face was covered in scars and his nose looked as though it had been broken a few times, but he still had an air of confidence about him.

He pulled out a strange-looking necklace and held it up to the light for her to see. It appeared to be an hourglass hanging from a faint golden chain.

"A Time Turner," she breathed, feeling in awe of the man until she realized that the entire supply of Time Turners had been smashed at the Ministry ten years ago, when she had been in her fifth year. "Where did you get one?"

"I have my ways," he replied mysteriously. "Would you like to have it?"

"Is it cursed?" she asked suspiciously, wondering if this man was a Death Eater in disguise.

To her surprise, he laughed. "I should think not. I've been using it rather extensively lately and haven't been cursed thus far."

"What do you want me to do with it?" she asked, wondering if she could trust this man. Going back to fix some things sounded highly tempting, but that would be breaking nearly every rule of Time there was!

"It is not a question of what I want, but what _you_ want," he said quietly. He placed it in her hand and got to his feet. "_Vicis tergum_ ought to do the trick."

"But what about the Laws of Time?" Hermione called out to him as he began walking away. It had been one of the strangest encounters she had ever been in, and the man was so vague it was maddening.

He paused and smiled at her. "I am familiar with the Laws of Time, Miss Granger. I wish you the best of luck."

How this stranger knew her name, she couldn't say. But if it would change this awful future…

Then the means justified the end.

"_Vicis tergum_."

* * *

**A/N: **_Vicis tergum is Latin for "time back." In this future, Petunia is Hermione's mother *shiver* because Petunia ended up marrying her current boyfriend, Daniel Granger. As for Harry's uncle Xeno, in this future, James married Muse Lovegood *lol* _

_Yes, this will be a Time Travel year. Hooray. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter, and I do love reviews ;)_


	35. Shocks and Surprises

**A/N: **_Okay, to clarify some issues from the last chapter, here is a longer A/N than usual:_

_-Hermione actually won't be playing a major part in this story, so anyone concerned about me possibly focusing more on her than Lily, Sev & friends don't need to get their knickers in a twist. _

_-While the time travel aspect is a main part of the plot, I will also be focusing on building the boys' friendship, Lily's issues in Slytherin, and Lily & Severus' friendship. _

_-I want to apologize for that "slam-in-the-face" plot twist from last chapter. It would have been rather boring (in my opinion) to build up to something like that and as a moderately-good writer, I'm willing to take risks. Some people loved it, others are confused as heck. That's fine. Everything will be perfectly clear as the events play out, so I assure you your confusion will not last forever._

_-Remember, Minerva was speaking from her perspective, so the events will not only be more interesting from a third person's POV, but the motives and consequences will be clearer (if they actually play out as they did in that timeline)._

_Thank you for your comments, especially those who explained why they were confused, because those reviews helped me tremendously. :)_

* * *

At last, it was summer.

Upon returning home from Hogwarts, Severus and Lily were showered in hugs and tears from the Evans— excluding Petunia of course. Apparently, the school hadn't seen fit to tell her Muggle parents more than what was necessary, as they would have been sorely confused. All they knew was that their daughter had been injured, then healed, and was now fine. Lily left it at that, as she didn't remember what happened anyway, but she had promptly informed them that if it weren't for Severus she would be a lot worse off than she was now.

"I mean it Sev," Lily said quietly after they finished the dinner that the Evans had prepared in honour of Severus. She hadn't told her parents he actually saved her _life_, because she didn't want to worry them even more. "He could have killed you and you still helped me…"

She trailed off, unable to put her thoughts into words. Exceedingly modest as always, Severus had refused to recount what everyone was calling his 'acts of inspiring heroism' or something like that; leaving Lily to mostly guess what had happened. Over and over again, she asked him to tell her the seemingly-improbable story, but each time, he grew more and more reluctant. He had told her as much as he would tell the Wizengamot, which was supposedly taking him in for questioning any day, yet there was no action or news thus far, to Severus' immense relief.

Ever since James had given him that _Daily Prophet_ with the article about a possible trial last week, he had been restless and jittery almost to the brink of panic. If this was Umbridge's one chance at revenge, then she was going to do anything to get him thrown in Azkaban, Severus knew. The worst part of it all was that the entire Ministry would be on her side, not some loner half blood with his hermit mother and alcoholic, Muggle father. He wondered where Dumbledore was these days…

"See you tomorrow," Lily waved him goodbye after they finished helping Mrs. Evans with the dishes and all of the celebratory cake had been eaten. Severus gave her a small smile, then made his way down the path that went from the cheerful, middle class neighbourhood that was Lily's, down to his lower class, shady neighbourhood known as Spinner's End.

The sun had just set as Severus made it to the door. His mum was visiting her dying sister in Surrey tonight, so it would be just him and his father. Or, so he thought.

As his hand reached for the rusty knob, he suddenly heard several voices coming from the other side. Two sounded like women's voices, and there was another man or two aside from the gruff, irritable voice that Severus recognized as his father's.

"I'm tellin' you, he's not here," Tobias growled at them. Severus pressed his ear against the still-closed door, furtively trying to find out who the guests were.

"Mr. Snape, this lack of discipline has clearly taken a toll on your son…" Severus strained to hear more from the woman, but her voice quickly faded into the background.

"Get outta my house!" Tobias suddenly roared. Severus' heart pounded, wondering what the people had said that had upset his father. "And take those damn twigs with you!"

Severus froze. Twigs? No..._wands_. There were wizards at his house, and they were looking for _him_…

Severus didn't need to think twice: he sprinted away from the door and ran up the hill, in the direction of Lily's house.

"There he is!" he heard one of the wizards shout from inside his home. Severus literally ran for his life, but he, an underage wizard unable to use magic during the summer, was no match against what turned out to be four highly-trained Aurors from the Ministry. A simple _Petrificus Totalus_ hex did the trick, and he was down on his back in a matter of seconds.

"I didn't do it!" Severus yelled after they had released him from his rigid position and pulled him to his feet. He couldn't be taken away…not _now_…not without anyone knowing he would be gone…

The tallest Auror laughed as Severus squirmed and tried desperately to free himself, but his efforts were futile. He had been caught so off guard that he couldn't even keep himself calm and steady. All he could think about was Azkaban, Azkaban, _Azkaban. _

"Tell it to the Wizengamot, kid," one of the muscular female Aurors said coldly as she braced him for Side-Along Apparition. They were taking him by force, just as Umbridge had probably ordered them to.

"Lily!" he screamed, but his voice was drowned out as the claustrophobic crushing feeling engulfed him, taking him far away from his home, his family, his friend.

**xXxXxXxXx**

_Where's Sev?_ Lily thought worriedly as she looked down at her watch. Eleven o'clock. He was supposed to meet her at the swings an hour ago. Was he hiding in the bushes? She turned around and her eyes silently searched the shrubbery, but no sign of her friend.

_Is he not feeling well?_

Shrugging to herself, Lily leaped off of the swing and began jogging cheerfully down toward Spinner's End. If he wasn't feeling all that great, then she would understand, but still, it wasn't like Sev to forget to tell her why he couldn't meet her that day when she had seen him just the night before…

As she knocked on the door, she mentally pictured him opening the door and standing there in his bed clothes, horror-struck to see her there. He never liked her coming to his house…actually, even _he_ didn't like going there.

It was a terribly gloomy place, but Lily didn't care if her friend was a little poorer than her, because he would still be her best friend in the world either way. Wealth and status didn't matter to her.

"What?" a grumpy man's voice barked at her from the other side of the door.

Lily's eyes widened in fear as Severus' father opened the door and glared down at her. She only remembered seeing him once or twice in the past; she could see why Severus didn't like him. He reeked of alcohol, and he had a very intimidating presence that would scare even the bravest of Gryffindors. He had the same droopy black hair and nose as his son, qualities Lily often playfully teased Severus about, except Tobias' facial features did not have the cuteness factor about them as Severus' did.

"Is Se-Severus home?" Lily squeaked in a tiny voice, petrified by the monstrous man despite the fact that he was a mere Muggle and she was a witch.

Tobias' cold black eyes narrowed. "You're that Evans girl, aren't you?"

Terrified, Lily nodded.

"Your lot took 'im. Sticks and cloaks they had, yes, they got the bugger," he said disinterestedly. He almost seemed _glad _to be rid of his own son.

"Where'd they take him?" Lily whispered, feeling ready to faint. Her mind was whirring out of control: they got him…the Ministry got him…Umbridge finally had him back in her clutches and their plans for hiding him at Potter's house if the warning signs came were now rendered useless…

"How should I know?" Tobias roared, making Lily jump backward in terror. "He's gone! Now get away from my home you bloody little magicking freak!"

Lily didn't need to be told twice. She turned on her heel and sprinted as far away from the Snape home as she could get. Her legs ached and burned going up the hill, but she did not stop until she reached her house.

"What are you doing?!" Petunia shrieked as Lily burst through the front door. She and her boyfriend had been snogging quite obnoxiously on the couch, but were too embarrassed to continue with the 'little sister' around.

"Sev's in trouble!" Lily answered her as she practically flew up the stairs and into her room.

_Quill…quill…oh sweet Merlin, where's my quill…?_

She made a horrendous mess in her urgency to find writing materials, and once she found the quill, she realized she barely had any ink left. Cursing loudly, Lily grabbed an old sheet of parchment and hurriedly scribbled down a note:

_Reg,_

_Severus is in trouble. What should I do? Please owl back as soon as possible._

_~Lily_

She jerked open Suzume's cage and tied the note to her leg. Her owl hooted angrily as she tied the knot a little too tight in her rush, but Lily shushed her. She knew Regulus and Severus weren't exactly the best of friends, but she didn't have anyone else she could count on. Narcissa, perhaps, but since she was in France at the moment, it would be so much easier to ask her other best friend.

"Take this to Reg, okay?" Lily desperately pleaded the owl as she flung open the window and hustled her out. Most normal wizards and witches with an urgent message wouldn't have used owl post, but Lily didn't have a choice. She didn't have any Floo powder, Apparition was impossible, she despised flying on broomsticks—and didn't own one, anyway—and she didn't know much about Portkeys. She was trapped.

She couldn't sleep that night. She wondered where Severus was, what he was doing right now. She didn't read anything about his capture or trial in that day's _Prophet_; perhaps she'd take a closer look at tomorrow's issue. She wanted to go back and ask Mrs. Snape for help, but she wasn't taking anymore chances with Sev's dad. Maybe Mrs. Snape hadn't been home because she was currently with Sev? Lily could only hope that was the answer.

_Dumbledore will clear everything up,_ Lily told herself firmly. She believed that Severus didn't open the Chamber of Secrets, and she believed that he was telling the truth when he said he didn't kill Dolores. Proving it to those already innately against him would be more difficult, however…

**xXxXxXxXx**

Two days passed without any answers from Regulus. Lily grew more and more frantic by the day; unable to eat or sleep properly whilst knowing her best friend's safety was in jeopardy. She thought about asking her parents to drive her to London, but then what? She had absolutely no idea where he could be, and she didn't know how to get from Muggle-London to Wizarding-London.

On the third day, she spent the entire morning staring out her bedroom window, waiting for Suzume to return with Regulus' response. Around noontime, she figured she'd have to eat eventually and started to get up when she heard Petunia scream.

Thinking it was her owl, Lily immediately ran out the door and leaped down the stairs three at a time. She froze on the last step as she looked into the sitting room and saw the thing Petunia was screaming at: it was a boy covered in ash, emerging from the fireplace. Lily's heart stopped.

_Regulus…he Flooed here? But…how…he's going to find out my parents are Muggles!_

"Reg!" Lily yelled, her voice flooded with fear and panic. Her secret…her terrible, highly-guarded secret was going to be found out…why had he Flooed here, oh _why…_

The boy turned around and grinned. Lily's fear dissolved into fury at the sight of his face.

"_BLACK?!_"

Sirius shook the dust off of himself— Petunia was so shocked by his presence that she was rendered speechless for several minutes— and Lily ran into the room, ready to strangle him.

"Honestly Evans, we're _both_ Blacks," Sirius grinned lopsidedly, clearly pleased by the girls' responses at his sudden appearance. "It would be so much easier if you would just refer to me by my first name."

Lily was too stunned to speak. Tactless as ever, not only had Sirius somehow gotten a hold of a letter meant for his brother, but he had the nerve to show up in her home completely unannounced. How had he known where she lived...?

"Excellent," he muttered excitedly to himself as he set off to explore the room he had just stumbled into without any prior consent from the girls. His manners were rather lacking, as his filthy shoes spread the ash all over the once-white carpeting. He was fascinated by the still pictures— though not yet making the connection between unmoving pictures and Lily's family— and once he was finished with his exploration, he collapsed onto the couch.

"Petunia? Are you alright?"

Lily and Petunia's jaws dropped in unison at the sound of their father approaching. Thinking quickly, Lily shoved a few pillows over Sirius, concealing him for the most part just as her parents walked in.

"We heard you screaming," Mrs. Evans said, her eyebrow raised sceptically as the two sisters eyed each other nervously.

"We're fine," Lily said slowly. "Tuney just thought she saw…someone in the other room…but it was really me," she finished lamely.

Petunia gawked at her but was forced to agree and nod vigorously when her father asked if this was true. When they finally left, the girls breathed a tremendous sigh of relief. Sirius, noting their departure, shoved the pillows off of him and stood up.

"Who are you?!" Petunia shrieked, though her voice was low enough so that only Lily and Sirius could hear her.

"Your worst nightmare," Sirius replied sardonically then turned to Lily. "Is she your sister?"

Lily ignored this question and grabbed his arm. Petunia stared at her as she dragged the mysterious fireplace boy up the stairs and into her room, but at least she kept her mouth shut...

"What are _you_ doing here?" Lily demanded once she and Sirius were alone in her room and the door was locked. "That letter was for Regulus!"

"He doesn't have a window in his bedroom," Sirius grinned mischievously. "Your bird came through my window first and I intercepted it."

Judging by the tone of his voice, he took great pride in the fact that he had done this. Lily stared at him for a moment, overwhelmed with both relief and rage. Sirius was a good friend of Severus, he would be more willing to help than Regulus probably would have been, but still: why _Sirius_?!

"Why did you come _here?_" Lily asked exasperatedly.

Sirius shrugged. "Sev's my friend too. I figured we could help each other."

He paused and carefully regarded her for a moment, then continued in a surprisingly serious tone: "The pictures…the ones in the frames downstairs…they don't move."

Lily felt her neck grow hot. "Yes. They're special…Muggle-type pictures."

Sirius seemed to know she was lying. "Regulus told me your mother's a witch."

"She is," Lily said, unable to hide the defiance in her voice. Was it possible that Sirius Black was smarter than she thought was possible for him? "She just…lives like a Muggle for the most part."

"Uh-huh."

Sirius was not convinced. Lily's entire face was red by now; she was not good at this lying thing.

"Severus was taken by the Ministry," she blurted out, trying to change the subject.

"What?!"

Lily nodded grimly. "They took him a couple of days ago. I don't know where he is, and I didn't know what to do so I—"

"Wrote to _Regulus_?" Sirius asked incredulously. "_Regulus_? Honestly Evans, I thought you had more brains than that. Severus _hates_ Regulus."

"Why though?"

Sirius bit his lip then shrugged nonchalantly. "I dunno. Regulus is an evil git, isn't that enough?"

Lily glared at him. "Do you realize that you're talking to one of his best friends?"

Sirius shrugged again. "Your choice in friends isn't my business. But he's my brother, so I can say anything I want about him."

"So…what do we do?" Lily asked after several more moments of awkward silence. She had never been alone with Black before, and it was quite uncomfortable, especially with him snooping all over the place. Where was his proper etiquette?!

"Well, for starters, I suppose we can Floo back to my house— Regeculous has been talking about you nonstop," Sirius rolled his eyes. "I think its love."

"Ha ha," Lily replied sarcastically...then it hit her: she didn't have Floo powder. How would they get to Grimmauld Place?

"Uh…we can't Floo though."

Sirius dropped one of her first year textbooks and looked at her curiously. "Why not? Your fireplace works fine."

"We're out of Floo powder," Lily lied, again feeling her face turn redder than a tomato.

Sirius stared at her for a long time as his mind made some connections, then his jaw dropped. "You _are_ a Muggleborn!"

"No!" No, I'm not, I'm a half blood you idiot," Lily pleaded to him, but it was no use.

"You are! You've been lying all this time, Evans?" Sirius asked, delightedly shocked. "Does Severus know?"

"Yes…I mean _no!_ I'm not…please Bla-_Sirius_…I'm a half blood I swear…"

Sirius glared at her sternly, all amusement gone from his face. "You're lying Evans."

Lily's eyes welled up in tears. Would he tell Regulus? Will Regulus hate her for lying? Would he not want to be her friend anymore? After all, she is a Mudblood…

"I'm not lying…my parents aren't Muggles," Lily cried in one final effort to assuage Sirius' accusations, but he knew he had stumbled onto a fabulous secret, and he wasn't going to let this go.

He crossed his arms and observed her sceptically. She finally gave up.

"Please…_please_ don't tell Regulus…or anyone," Lily begged him, tears flowing down her face. She was humiliated by her sick desperation, but she had no choice but to give in now and hope that their one similarity— their tie to Severus— would be enough to keep him quiet.

Sirius continued watching her, but this time it was more of a pitying look, than scepticism. Lily loathed the feeling of being pitied, especially from _Sirius._

"Severus knows?"

Lily nodded numbly. Was her life as a Slytherin going to be ruined after this…?

"Oh alright, I swear I won't tell anyone…but you gotta make this up to me Evans."

Stunned by her stroke of good fortune, Lily nodded feverishly. She prayed Sirius wasn't the type to go back on his word, as her best friends were his close relatives. If they found out…she didn't want to think about the consequences. It would be a nightmare, that's all she knew.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"No! Please! I didn't...arghhh..."

Severus trembled violently as the deranged man's voice trailed off, followed by the crushing sound of a body hitting the floor. He was the third escapee this week, and if it weren't for the duo of ruthless Aurors and lone Dementor guarding these dungeons, the man might have made it.

He was from the first sector of this prison, which was situated deep underground, even deeper than the Ministry's headquarters. His section was for the petty thieves and minor criminals awaiting a trial, while Severus was in the fourth sector, the one for questionable murderers and torturers. Judging by the cruel, unfeeling faces of his fellow fourth-ers, they were headed straight for Azkaban after their trials. Severus, on the other hand, was innocent.

Too bad he and Pettigrew were the only people who were certain of that.

So the Ministry had finally captured him. He wasn't sure if he would have gone willingly, though now that he had had time to reflect back on it, he figured he would have at least attempted explaining things instead of frantically screaming that he didn't do it.

His wand had been confiscated immediately upon his arrival at the Ministry, leaving him alone and powerless. He had asked someone about the legality of taking him by force, and apparently it was acceptable to the Ministry as long as the 'criminal' is proven to be a dangerous suspect.

The filthy cell he currently inhabited was right next to the one containing three known Death Eaters. Three of them had to be out of their minds, as they spoke nothing but nonsense all day, driving Severus mad. The man who had been on the other side of his cell had tried escaping two days ago...but the Dementor had caught up with him just as he nearly stole one of the Auror's wands.

The entire place was like a cold and gloomy version of hell. All of the hope and cheerful thoughts Severus had had upon the completion of his second year were diminished by now, as were his plans of escaping. This place was better than Azkaban, where there were thousands of Dementors patrolling the place. That was the only speck of hope he could hold onto at the moment.

Suddenly, the only door out of this place opened, and misty silver light poured through. The prisoners all began screaming and howling at once; this usually happened when an _outsider_ came in, as all of the witches and wizards were desperate to go to trial and potentially prove their innocence.

Severus crawled up to the edge of the cell— feeling ridiculously like a groveling mutt as he did so— and peered out to see who it was. There were so many people in here that he doubted the person would be coming for _him_, but he was still intrigued by the silver light. The wizards cried out to the person as they passed by their cells, hysterically pleading them to have mercy and free them ; the outsider simply ignored them and continued on down toward the far end of the prison...toward the fourth section.

The silver kitten Patronus paused just in front of Severus' cell. Strangely, he felt no warmth from the cat. He immediately understood why as soon as its caster caught up with it.

Standing in the shadows, pinker and pudgier than ever, was Darcy Umbridge. Her eyes and smile had a cruel, twisted quality about them, as though she was trying to tell Severus that McGonagall was no longer around to stop her from getting her revenge. His fists clenched furiously at the sight of her, walking free, while he, an innocent thirteen year old, was rotting in a prison meant for the real criminals.

He wanted to strangle her. If he had had his wand, he would have performed every Dark spell he knew on that wretched face.

After several moments of icily observing each other, Darcy spoke: "How nice it is to see you again, Mr. Snape."

* * *

**A/N: **_Most chapters will be like this, interchangeably focusing on Lily and Severus, as I've always done. No need for panic, I assure you. Dumbledore's lack of help will be explained eventually. I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as I can (it'll have the beginning of the trial), but I do have another story in progress as well, so please be patient. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and comments are appreciated :)_


	36. The Hearing

**A/N: **_Sorry about the wait. Thank you for all of your comments, they're always helpful when writing the story! Enjoy~_

* * *

"The charges against the accused are as follows: Attacking the former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and current Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, Darcy Anne Umbridge, attacking Narcissa Kalandrianna Black, attacking Mary Johanna McDonald, and _murdering_ Head Girl Dolores Jane Umbridge."

Severus didn't blink once as Minister Tennison read off the charges against him. There were only a twenty or so other people sitting around the man; if they decided to take this hearing to trial, there would be hundreds more. To Severus' left, his friends fidgeted anxiously in their seats, waiting to see what would become of him. Severus couldn't bring himself to look at them. He was innocent, they all knew that, but it was going to be difficult proving the truth.

As usual, Dumbledore was nowhere in sight. After all, he must have more important things to do than wasting time trying to save a student from a life in prison. . .or worse.

Severus did not like it in here. It was dark and cold, thanks to the duo of Dementors floating near the exits. He didn't really think they were necessary, but he didn't mention this.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his friends shivering. Damn it, why did they have to come? They were only suffering more for his sake, which made him feel worse than he already did. Still, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to face this hearing alone. . .

"You are Severus Tobias Snape of number seven, Spinner's End, Bradford, Yorkshire?" Tennison glanced down at Severus with a disdainful look on his face.

Severus nodded. "Yes sir."

"What say you of these charges, Mr. Snape?"

"I didn't do it—" Severus said quickly, hoping to have some time to explain, but the Minister interrupted him.

"Of course you didn't," he said, smiling condescendingly. "So who _did_ do it?"

"Pettigrew," he answered automatically. "Peter Pettigrew. He opened the Chamber of Secrets."

Half of the Wizengamot burst into laughter at this.

"The Chamber of Secrets?" Tennison chuckled. "This is not a game, boy, do not confuse fantasy with reality."

"But it's real!" Severus shouted. He glared hatefully at Umbridge, who was sitting directly to the Minister's right. "She knows too! She saw the message written on the wall at the beginning of the year!"

The entire Wizengamot fell silent and turned to look at Darcy.

Unfazed, she merely smiled lazily down at Severus. "Indeed. It was you who wrote it, if I remember correctly. Forgive me, but weren't you writing it in _blood_?"

The adults murmured amongst themselves darkly. Darcy sat back, comfortable with the fact that she was still in complete control of the situation.

"I _found_ the writing," Severus answered with forced calmness. "But I didn't write it myself. James was there—" he motioned to James, to nervously got to his feet and waved, "—he can prove it wasn't—"

"Enough! These are serious accusations, Snape. We have already interrogated Pettigrew by Albus Dumbledore's request and he knows nothing of the incident."

Severus fell back into his chair, too stunned for words. How did Pettigrew _possibly_ manage to evade the Ministry? Severus had seen the boy in class numerous times throughout first year; based on his observations, the boy had to be one of the worst wizards he'd ever seen. Was the mediocrity all an act? Or did he have someone else on his side. . .?

"But I was there. . .in the Chamber with Pettigrew. . .Lily was there too!"

The members of the Wizengamot did not look convinced.

"Really?" Tennison asked suspiciously, following Severus' gaze to where Lily sat. After several seconds of strained silence, he said, "Stand up girl."

Terrified, Lily immediately did as she was told.

"State your full name."

"Lily Rose Evans," she squeaked, avoiding Severus' gaze.

"Miss Evans, do you agree with Mr. Snape's statement that you were also present in the Chamber of Secrets on the third of June?"

Lily licked her lips and darted a frightened glance toward Severus. "Well sir. . .I-yes, I was there. Peter dragged me through the entrance and Severus followed a little while after."

"Do you know this as a fact, or has it been previously disclosed to you?" Tennison asked sharply.

Lily released a deep breath and her shoulders sagged, knowing it was no use to try and lie to the Minister of Magic himself. "No sir. . .I-I don't remember much from that night. . .Peter tampered with some of my memories—"

"_LIES!_" Darcy bellowed. "Minister, the girl clearly cannot serve as a reliable witness, given the circumstances. She could easily be lying to cover up for her little friend."

"I am not!" Lily replied hotly, though she had to admit the woman had a valid point. Apart from what Severus had told her about that night, she didn't know anything. She didn't remember Peter taking her into the Chamber, nor did she remember any sort of attack. . .still, she believed Severus nonetheless.

"Sit down, Miss Evans," Tennison gestured for her to sit, which she immediately did, grateful to be out of the spotlight once more. "Mr. Snape," he turned to Severus now, "If what Miss Evans says is true, then what happened to her memory of these events?"

"Pettigrew hit her with something. A curse I don't recognize. Once she was unconscious, he called the basilisk on me."

"A _basilisk?_" the Wizengamot members cried out incredulously.

The Minister still looked skeptical. "Are you sure of this?"

"Well obviously I wasn't about to turn around and get a good look at it," Severus retorted. James and Sirius sniggered quietly until Lily jabbed them in the ribs. "But it had to be a basilisk. He used some weird hissing noise to call it— it must have been Parseltongue— and that would explain all of the Petrified bodies. You already checked my wand; you know I didn't use any Unforgiveable Curses this year. Dolores was killed by the basilisk."

Severus panted after he finished his long-winded explanation of what he was certain had happened. He had been preparing these arguments for weeks, but somehow, they seemed weaker now that he was actually standing before the Wizengamot. He looked up at the Minister, desperate to find some sign of hope on his face.

"A very fitting story," Tennison replied at last. "How do we know that you are not a Parselmouth yourself? Miss Evans did claim that you followed her and Pettigrew through the entrance sometime after they had gone through. . .how did you open the entrance?"

Severus eyes widened. This man was much too clever. Nothing slipped past him.

_Just tell the truth,_ Severus reminded himself. _They won't find you guilty if you just tell the truth…._

"I mimicked Pettigrew," he replied weakly. "That's how I got through."

"So you _can_ speak Parseltongue?"

"Anyone can!" James said suddenly as he got to his feet.

_Oh Merlin James, not now,_ Severus thought as he closed his eyes and listened to his friend's furious rant.

"It's just a bunch of crazy hissing. . .look! I can speak it too! _Hiss hissy hiss hissy_. . ."

"Mr. Potter, sit down or I will order the Dementors to escort you out," Tennison cut across him harshly. James immediately threw himself back onto the bench in between Lily and Remus, terrified at the prospect of the Dementors touching him.

"I _mimicked_ it. I didn't actually comprehend what I was saying," Severus said quietly.

The Minister looked doubtful of this.

"So how did you manage to escape alive, Mr. Snape?" he asked in a slightly exasperated tone. "If Pettigrew really _did_ set the basilisk on you, then why aren't you dead?"

Severus gulped. He had been hoping they would stay away from this question, but now it was unavoidable. "I fought it."

"Fought it?" some of the members of the Wizengamot began laughing again. "What spell could possibly hold off a _basilisk_?"

"Um. . ._Sectumsempra_."

"I don't recognize that spell," Tennison said at once. "Is it Dark Magic?"

Severus shook his head, knowing he would be in much more trouble if the Ministry realized just how much Dark Magic he actually knew. The last thing he needed was them finding more reasons to throw him in Azkaban. . .

"No sir."

"How does it work?"

"It. . .it stops things. Like. . .like a Freezing Charm. . ."

"Do not lie, Mr. Snape. It is common knowledge that few forms of magic can stop such creatures. If you do not wish to explain to me how this _Sectumsempra_ spell works and you swear that it is not Dark Magic, then perhaps you wouldn't mind performing it for us."

"What?" Severus croaked. He couldn't do that, and it wasn't like he had a wand anyway. . .

"What does _Sectumsempra_ do to its victim?" Tennison demanded, more aggressive this time. "How does it work? Did you invent it yourself?"

Severus nodded, unsure of what else to say. He couldn't bear to perform it on anyone in here, especially if it would have the same effect on them as it did the basilisk. If he concentrated hard enough, he could still recall the scent of the basilisk's blood falling on him like raindrops. . .

"It cut the basilisk. . .I think. Its blood landed on me—"

"We don't know if he's telling the truth—" Darcy shrieked, only to be interrupted by a quieter voice:

"The boy speaks the truth."

"Dumbledore?" Tennison asked, clearly astonished by his sudden presence. He hadn't been invited to this hearing, nor had he been allowed in during the proceedings, yet he had come inside anyway.

Severus and his friends stared at the older wizard as he made his way to the centre of the grand room; as always, he looked calm and was rather pleased by the Wizengamot's reaction to his entrance.

He pulled out his wand and out of thin air, a vial of bright red blood appeared. He sent the little container zooming up to the Minister for inspection.

"I have taken the liberty of examining the contents myself, as well as asking four of your best magical creature inspectors as to which creature this blood belongs to. All studies have confirmed this is the blood of a basilisk. This was the same blood I found on young Mr. Snape's robes upon his exit from the Chamber of Secrets on the third of June. The boy is telling the truth."

The rest of the Wizengamot seemed too stunned to speak. Even the Minister was at a loss for words as he sniffed the liquid and poked his wand in the vial.

Severus' heart pounded as Dumbledore glanced back at him with a wink. Was the blood going to be enough to prove his innocence? Judging by the look on Darcy's face, it wasn't, so Severus could only hope Dumbledore had a few more tricks up his sleeve. . .

"So what if it was a basilisk? Where is the proof we need that it was not Snape controlling the beast?" Darcy spat, her face purple with rage.

"Darcy, while I feel tremendously guilty for allowing a student to die in my school during my time as headmaster, I beg for you to stop going about this so irrationally. Blaming an innocent boy will not bring your daughter back."

The entire hall fell silent from Dumbledore's words. They cut like ice through the air, sending shivers down Severus' spine that had nothing to do with the Dementors.

"He murdered her," Darcy said stonily, refusing to give in, even to Dumbledore. "We have all the evidence that suggests—"

"Aside from the fact that Mr. Snape and Mr. Lupin were in my office at the time, Narcissa Black has confirmed that her attacker was not Mr. Snape—"

"But—"

"—_Furthermore,_ as Mary McDonald's memories have clearly shown the Wizengamot already, Mr. Snape was not present in the bathroom at the time of Dolores Umbridge's murder."

"But he used the basilisk!" Darcy wailed. "He's already admitted to using Parseltongue once; he must have killed her using the basilisk!"

"Might I remind you, Mr. Snape was very nearly killed by the basilisk himself on the third of June?" Dumbledore asked calmly.

"It must have turned on him," Darcy screamed hysterically, refusing to give in to the idea that Severus Snape may _not_ be her daughter's murderer after all. "He. . .and the girl! They must have been plotting together!"

Dumbledore smiled serenely up at her. She was only making herself look worse by losing her temper.

"To what point and purpose, Darcy? Surely you must know the historical usages of basilisks— thus making Miss Evans' involvement quite impractical— and while I must commend you on your quick-witted replies, you are sorely mistaken in blaming Mr. Snape for these crimes. You have yet to provide me solid evidence to the contrary," he added with a wry smile.

"He was _there!_" she spluttered, "He was the first one to find her! He must have done it!"

Again, Dumbledore's smile remained unchanging. "Ah. Yet another dilemma. You see, if I was to drop dead in front of you, Darcy, with nobody else around, would they accuse someone such as yourself for murdering me? I should think not.

"Mr. Snape obviously was not controlling the basilisk, and since the only explanation for Dolores' death was that she unfortunately made the fatal eye contact with the monster, I think it's safe to say Mr. Snape is innocent.

"As for the basilisk, it will be tracked and killed as soon as possible. Thus, I think we have nothing more to discuss."

Darcy's face was pinker than her robes. Severus had never seen her look angrier, except for that day when she nearly killed him after they all stumbled onto Dolores' dead body. That had been frightening, but he had had McGonagall to protect him. Now, Dumbledore was his saviour.

Severus' innocence was pretty clear to the rest of the Wizengamot by now; it was more of a question of whether Darcy or Dumbledore would win the argument.

"So," she said thickly, still breathing hard. "You know what this means, Dumbledore?"

"My forced resignation, I believe?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly. "Are we discussing that now, are we?"

Sweating profusely, Darcy nodded triumphantly. She might have had to drop the charges against the boy, but Dumbledore's fate was still up in the air. . .

"The school's governors have already signed the forms," she smiled wickedly, holding up a stack of a dozen or so pieces of formal-looking parchment. "The Ministry has also complied. You are no longer the headmaster at Hogwarts, Dumbledore."

The members of Wizengamot looked around at each other as though each of them were having second thoughts about Dumbledore's resignation.

"I will go quietly," Dumbledore said after several moments of silence, "If you will allow me one small request."

Darcy's screeching laughter echoed along the halls. "A request? What _small request_ could you possibly want?"

Severus watched Dumbledore's lips twitch slightly, as though he were enjoying his own private joke. He couldn't believe Dumbledore would give in so easily. . .what could he possibly have planned?

"I want to choose the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."

* * *

**A/N: **_This chapter was a little more difficult to write than usual...as you might be able to see, I followed the hearing process as described in OotP. I'm not exactly a lawyer, so forgive any legal errors I made (even if this is just fiction). I would have spent more time on the hearing, but I think it'll be better if we just get along with the story..._

_As always, reviews are extremely helpful and appreciated :)_


	37. Professor Granger

**A/N: **_Wow, I am thrilled with the response from the last chapter! Thank you! I hope you don't mind shorter chapters from now on, because that's the only way I'm able to update within a reasonable timeframe. Enjoy~_

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"Spyr, Melanie. . .SLYTHERIN!

"Tate, Kendrick. . .SLYTHERIN!

"Tilley, Aliza. . .SLYTHERIN!"

All of the Gryffindors groaned as Professor McGonagall signalled the end of the Sorting. It had been a bad year for their house, with only one Gryffindor for every four Slytherins. Hufflepuff had done alright, and Ravenclaw had had the second most new members, but nearly half of all the new first years had gone into Slytherin.

Their depression had set in long before the Sorting had even begun, however; with Dumbledore gone, this place had turned into a nightmare. The enchanted ceiling was endlessly stormy, the food was dull and tasteless, the candles were less bright than usual, and worst of all: Dementors were lurking in the shadows. Umbridge, the newly-instated headmistress, claimed these were merely security measures to ensure their safety, but everyone feared their new 'guards' nonetheless.

Only yesterday it had been announced that Umbridge was taking Dumbledore's post as Head of Hogwarts. Severus was infuriated by this, but it hadn't really surprised him. The woman was a power-hungry lunatic, and her temperament could only have gotten worse since the Wizengamot acquitted him back in July.

August had gone by much too quickly for Severus. Wanting to get as far away from the Ministry's headquarters as possible, he had returned home for the rest of the summer and spent nearly every waking moment with Lily. He could see that she was still deeply shaken from all of the madness that had occurred over the past year, especially her brush with death in the final days of their second year. Almost losing her best friend had really unravelled her, making her more anxious and jumpy than usual. Severus wanted to be able to tell her everything was fine, but he, too, was shaken by the Ministry incident. He knew Umbridge hated him, but he didn't realize how easily persuaded even the Minister of Magic could be. As much as he tried telling himself that the Ministry was really on his side, he simply couldn't see past the corruption. If it weren't for Dumbledore, he didn't know what would have become of him. . .

As Umbridge began her start of the term speech, Severus stared up at the ceiling, determined to ignore her. It was blacker and gloomier than ever; not a good way to start off the year. He shivered as the light mist grew denser in the hall. Dementors in a school had to be the most ridiculous thing he'd ever seen. Nobody but the sixth and seventh years would stand a chance against them if they decided to go after one— or several— of the students. True, they were supposedly there to 'protect' the students, but from what? Deep down, Severus held onto his theory that they were here only to instil fear in every student, to discourage any revolts against Umbridge from students who remained loyal to Dumbledore.

Severus pounded his fist on the table in frustration. Dumbledore hadn't said one word to him after his hearing; he had literally disappeared without saying anything about what was going to happen to them without him around as headmaster. Surely he didn't plan on leaving Hogwarts forever?

The only clue he had left was that the new Defence Against the Dark Arts professor held some importance to Dumbledore. Were they super-powerful and would be able to defeat Umbridge on the spot? Did they have connections to some secret alliance of witches and wizards that wanted to destroy Umbridge? What could have possibly made this person so valuable to Dumbledore?

Severus looked up at the staff table. The only new face up there was a rather plain-looking woman with wild brown hair and overlarge teeth. Severus sighed disappointedly. Leave it to Dumbledore to pick yet another lousy Defence teacher.

"Not much, is she?" James muttered under his breath, following Severus' gaze.

"Probably cleaned offices at the Ministry," Sirius said. "She looks like someone who enjoys dull jobs."

"Teaching Defence isn't exactly a 'dull job,'" Severus pointed out.

"Why is she staring at _us?_" Remus whispered.

Severus casually glanced back up at the staff table from the corner of his eye: Remus was right, she _was_ looking at them. Actually, it rather looked like she was staring at _James_.

"Family friend?"

James shrugged. "I've never seen her in my life. What's her name?"

". . .I'd like to introduce this year's Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Hermione Granger."

Umbridge did not sound pleased as she said this, but clapped anyway when the younger woman got to her feet and waved to the students.

Sirius, Severus, and Remus all looked at James, waiting for some sign of recognition. He shook his head.

"I've never heard of her before. Trust me, I'd know if my parents knew any Grangers. She's probably just good at figuring out who the best students are."

Severus rolled his eyes. Only James would think _he_ was a good student. Still, even after Professor Granger sat down, she continued watching their group with unusual interest. Upon closer inspection, she looked a lot younger than Severus had initially believed. She couldn't be older than twenty-five, making it highly unlikely for her to have known any of their parents.

After a few minutes of silence, his friends moved on to Quidditch and this year's new subjects. Severus, however, was still curious about Professor Granger. He didn't know why he was so concerned; Umbridge had given him a lot of attention last year as well. He sincerely hoped Professor Granger wouldn't be as bad as Umbridge had been.

Severus looked back up at the new teacher, but her attention was now on her conversation with McGonagall.

Sighing to himself, Severus glanced down at his schedule. They had Defence with the Slytherins first thing tomorrow morning.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Hey Sev," Lily greeted her friend as she walked into the darkened classroom and took the seat next to him. Laika and Narcissa were still unhappy to see that she was sitting with him _again_, but Lily cheerfully ignored their scowls.

"Lovely weather," she commented sarcastically in an attempt to get her friend to smile. In reality, the weather was stormier than ever, strange for this time of year. Noticing Severus' frown deepening, Lily frowned as well. "What's wrong, Sev?"

He looked at her blankly. "What?"

_Somebody's distracted today,_ Lily thought silently before asking again, "What's wrong?"

Severus sighed. "Nothing. . .I just. . .I think there's something off about her."

Lily was puzzled. "Who?"

"Professor Granger."

Lily laughed. "She looked pretty ordinary to me. I was just thinking how funny it was that she and Petunia's boyfriend have the same last names—"

"—That's right!" Severus jumped to his feet at once, startling Lily. "You reckon they could be related?"

"Well. . .that would make Daniel a Squib, wouldn't it?" Lily asked, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. "I don't know. . ."

Disheartened, Severus sat down. "Yeah. . .you'd think he'd know a _little_ magic. I think he's definitely a Muggle."

"It's just a coincidence, then. I'm sure there's plenty of Grangers out there."

Severus nodded, though he still felt inexplicably frustrated. Was the new atmosphere at Hogwarts just getting to him? Was he going mad? Or was he really onto something?

"Hello students," a voice greeted them from the back of the room once everyone had taken their seats.

Severus watched Granger carefully as she strolled down the aisle, hoping to find something to ease his worries.

"As you all know, I am Professor Granger. I taught Potions at another school, but I assure you, I have enough experience to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts as well."

Severus wondered what school she taught at previously. He knew there had to be other wizarding schools out there, but he couldn't imagine why Dumbledore would have wanted an outsider to teach at Hogwarts.

"Why does she keep looking at us?" Sirius whispered.

Severus looked up and accidentally made eye contact with her. She smiled warmly at him before breaking the contact and continuing on with her speech.

Bewildered, Severus turned to his friends. "Do you think she's doing it by accident?"

James grinned. "Perhaps she can't get over how good looking I am."

Severus and Remus rolled their eyes.

"Oh yes, I'm sure she can't resist your impossible beauty," Severus replied sardonically. "She's too old for you, mate."

"And girls don't like younger boys, especially an arrogant prat like _you_, Potter," Lily hissed.

"You're one to talk, Evans. Regulus is a year younger than you and you're completely obsessed with the git."

"He's just my friend, you idiot," Lily said as her cheeks reddened slightly. "It's not like we're dating or anything."

James' eyebrows rose as he noticed Severus' lips twitch upward. Was it just him or did it seem as though Severus liked Evans a little more than he let on. . .?

"Why did Umbridge want you to teach us?" Laika demanded once Granger was done speaking.

The woman smiled. "Actually, Professor Dumbledore appointed me as the Defence teacher."

"Why?" Severus found himself asking aloud.

The question had been burning in his mind even before he ever saw Granger— in fact, he had a million more questions. Why had Dumbledore agreed to leave quietly? Why was the Defence post so important to him? Why did he leave without even putting up a fight? Why did he allow the Ministry to leave Umbridge in charge? Why did Dumbledore decide to help him after all? Why did he allow Severus' hearing to happen in the first place? Had he done anything about the basilisk yet? What had become of Pettigrew? Where was Dumbledore now?

Severus had so many unanswered questions swarming around in his head that he was giving himself a headache. He looked up into Professor Granger's eyes, begging her to tell him something useful, something to erase his concerns.

"Professor Dumbledore has his reasons," she answered vaguely. Severus nearly slammed his fists on the table in frustration. She was just like _him_! Would nobody _ever_ tell him the whole truth?

"What school did you teach at?" he demanded, trying to squeeze any information— no matter how insignificant— out of this mysterious teacher. Normally, he would have simply ignored these suspicions, but with all of the chaos surrounding Umbridge and her new regime, Severus wanted to know the truth.

"Beauxbatons," she answered smoothly, not missing a beat. Personally, Severus had never heard of this 'Bo-buh-ton' school, but she certainly didn't sound like she was lying. He glared up at her. He was infuriated by the amused look on her face; she didn't look like the type to hide things from others, but he couldn't help but feel suspicious of her.

Then again. . .perhaps it really was nothing.

_I'm going mad,_ Severus moaned silently, and hid his face in his arms.

**xXxXxXxXx**

"Professor. . .can I. . .can I ask you something?"

"Sure thing, Snivvy, you know how much I adore obnoxious little gits."

Severus turned away from the mirror and glared at his friend. "Shut up James."

James threw the covers back on his bed and sat up. "It's three in the morning Sev! Just go to sleep already!"

Severus continued glaring at him. Yes, it _was_ rather late, but he simply couldn't sleep. His dreams were playing tricks on him. Every time his head touched the pillow, he would be greeted by the strangest dreams he'd ever witnessed. Some were downright impossible, yet others were a little too close to reality for him to sleep peacefully. Severus wondered if he had some sort of Seer abilities. He was taking Divination this year and the first of those classes was tomorrow. He after all that he had done and seen lately, he wouldn't be surprised if his professor proclaimed him to be the greatest Seer that ever lived. That, or he was _still_ going mad.

He feared it was the latter.

"James," he hissed urgently, hoping his friend was still awake.

James stirred under his blankets, then looked up at Severus. "What?"

"Am I. . ." he wondered how he should put this, "Am I crazy?"

James simply stared at him, unsure if he should laugh or take his friend seriously.

"Why?"

"I. . .I don't know. I keep thinking there's something odd about Professor Granger, but nobody else thinks there's anything wrong."

James observed him carefully for a moment. "Well, in case you forgot, people need to sleep. You see, it keeps you from losing your mind—"

"It's _not_ from a lack of sleep, I seriously think—"

"—Stop overanalyzing things!" James hissed irritably, "Look, you tend to notice tiny details more than most of us do, and that's great. Good for you for being so observant. But Granger's just another teacher. There's nothing special about her, alright? You're just trying to solve some nonexistent puzzle and driving yourself mad because everything fits perfectly when puzzles aren't supposed to work that way. Just give it up."

Severus stared at him in shock. Who knew James could be rational about _anything?_ Perhaps sleep deprivation was good for him. . .

Unable to argue with that kind of logic, he nodded reluctantly. After sending a few rude gestures Severus' way, James turned over and went back to sleep.

Severus, however, still found it difficult to sleep comfortably. If nobody else thought Granger's subtle glances and questionable background were anything to be concerned about, then neither should he. He had been planning on confronting her about this, but now that he thought about it, that was a rather foolish idea. Not to mention disrespectful.

_It's just stress_, he told himself silently. That was a very likely cause, seeing as the Dementors floating around and the gloom-and-doom atmosphere of his once-favourite place were enough to drive anyone mad.

With a pang of sadness, he finally realized what everyone else had already come to terms with: Hogwarts just wasn't the same anymore.

The thought alone was more frightening than the Dementors themselves.

* * *

**A/N: **_I'll get the next chapter up as soon as possible, probably after I update GND. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, and all feedback is appreciated, as always :)_


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